The Ghosts of Millennia
by ninjagirlmai
Summary: All Nico wanted was a mortal life. But when a shaky peace between Hades and Demeter snaps, tensions rise until they threaten to turn into all-out war among the gods. Ron, Hermione, and Cho are thrown into the world of the gods as they set out to save their home before it collapses. There's nowhere to run... not when all of Western Civilization is on the line. COMPLETED
1. A Love-Hate Relationship with Airplanes

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

The Jacksons are throwing a holiday party. Blaise and Hestia experience planes for the first time. Nico hates finals.  


**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: General Audiences  
Content Warning: Cursing  
Word Count: 2460

Thanks to Greta Giacomoni for designing this fic's cover!

This is a sequel to the Coming of Nico di Angelo ( story/152263397-the-coming-of-nico-di-angelo). Click there to read that fic. I recommend you read that through (I know it's long but this'll be waiting for you when you get back). These first two chapters will spoil most of the twists for you and besides that, you'll have no idea what's going on. If you still don't want to, make a comment and I'll respond to it.

That's it! Go on, read the first chapter now. Unless you're not caught up! Then to read the Coming of Nico di Angelo!

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_NICO_**

"Fuck finals, fuck finals, fuck them, fuck them, fuck them," Nico muttered under his breath as he poured milk into some cornflakes. "Fuck snow, fuck finals, fuck everything."

Of course a blizzard had to hit New York the final day before winter break, rendering schools closed and bumping his English Composition final to January 3rd. Instead of catching up with Percy, Will, Alabaster, Hazel, and everyone else coming over for the holidays, he'd be in his room. Having a school-induced breakdown.

"Did your cereal try to attack you?" Paul asked, chuckling as he watched Nico stab his breakfast with a tablespoon.

"Snow day today. I'm gonna spend the whole break studying for English Comp-and by studying I mean throwing my notes at the wall and debating if a withdrawal-fail is better than an F."

Paul chuckled again and ruffled Nico's hair as he crossed to the coffee pot and poured two cups. "Your mom and I can help you, you know." He mixed some milk and sugar in one and passed it to Nico. "She just so happens to be a writer. And, I was a pretty good English teacher way back when."

Paul sat opposite Nico at the table and took a long _slurp_, eyeing Nico with a humorous glint. Nico rolled his eyes, as he always did when Sally or Paul referred to themselves as his Mom or Dad. No matter how many times he gave them attitude, they refused to stop it-though, Nico didn't ever really put up that much of a fight. He secretly liked it, even if he couldn't call them _that _just yet.

"It's not something I can really study for," Nico explained, "It's just reading some passage Miss Borieo digs up and writing about the 'rhetorical devices' in it. Even if I manage to memorize all the different types... you know I won't be able to write a decent essay in ninety minutes! I just wanted to get this over with and get ready for the party tonight. Is that too much to ask?!"

"Here-" Paul checked his watch. "Percy should be home from Camp Half-blood with your friends around three, give or take traffic, and the California and England flights should be in by one unless something got delayed. So... I'd bank on four o'clock as the final deadline for the party. It's almost ten. Make sure you're dressed in a half-hour, okay? I'll help you with the final."

"It's no use, I'm gonna fail."

"Humor me, then."

Nico let out a long, fake, sarcastic sigh. "Fiiiiiine. Ten-thirty it is."

**_HERMIONE_**

"Hermione! Wait up!"

Hermione turned, surprised anyone would recognize her at King's Cross. Most of the students didn't get out for another two days, but her parents pulled her out a bit early so they could start their annual skiing vacation. Ron was grumbling about her being away during their first Christmas as a couple, so she'd bargained with her parents to start and end the week in New Hampshire early so she could spend New Year's with the Weasleys.

"Hestia! Blaise! What are you two doing here?" Hermione cried. She'd barely talked to the Slytherins since the previous year, but they'd always had pleasant words for each other on the semi-rare occasions they were working together in Potions or Care of Magical Creatures.

"We're going to New York for the weekend, to see Nico," Blaise explained. "They're having this party tomorrow. And... uh..."

Hestia laughed at Blaise's awkward stumbling. "We're both purebloods and don't know how planes work. Professor Snape said you're on our flight?"

"Layover at JFK, yeah." Hermione smiled in understanding. "Sure, I'll help you. Here, we need to catch the tube to Heathrow. C'mon."

**_NICO_**

Nico sat at the kitchen table, waiting for Paul with his English Composition notes. Even if he was still annoyed and frustrated about the timing of everything, it at least comforted him to know that Paul would help him. That way, when he bombed the test, no one could say he hadn't studied hard enough.

Paul came out of his room with a few pieces of paper, a couple of pens, and his laptop. He sat down next to Nico and placed it in front of him with a smile.

"I emailed Miss Borieo. She was more than happy to give you the prompt now, so you'll have more time to write the essay. And, she even offered to let you have the list of rhetorical devices and their definitions with you when you write it. She said the final's about applying what you know, not just base memorization. The rest of the class already knows these well enough that they shouldn't have to study over the break, according to her."

"Wait, seriously?!" Nico's spirits lifted. "How did you do that?"

"I asked." Nico stifled laughter; Paul sounded so done with him. "It took your mom and I a lot of shouting to get you accommodations for your dyslexia and ADHD. Maybe you should use them every once in a while?"

"Okay, okay, I suck at asking people stuff, I get it."

"Here's what we're going to do." Paul gave Nico the papers-the passage, and the prompt-and opened up his laptop. "We're going to read this out loud, together. Take notes in your journal-Greek, Latin, Italian, I don't care-then, you're going to dictate this essay to me and I'm going to type it up word-for-word. Then, we can edit it together and send it off before everyone arrives. Get it over with."

Nico nodded. It was nice having someone looking out for him.

**_HERMIONE_**

"This is so cool!" Hermione had heard Blaise and Hestia say versions of that every five minutes for the last hour. The tube, metal detector, baggage check, ticket scanner, ATM, frozen yogurt machines... it was adorable, really, like toddlers traveling for the first time.

Now, they were officially in the sky; Hermione was able to trade seats with a charming old man so she could stay with the other wizards. Hestia, sitting by the window, was staring out at London from the clouds.

"Blaise, look!" she squealed. "The cars are _tiny!_"

Blaise peered through the window, sticking out his neck so he could see past Hestia's head. His eyes widened with childlike delight.

_"You may now use electronic devices," _a cool, female voice announced.

"Look at this," Hermione said, grinning in anticipation for their reaction. "Look at this." She plugged their tiny airplane headphones into the headphone jack on the back of the seat and turned it on. Through the headphones, Hermione could hear, _"You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch. You really are a heel. You're as cuddly as a cactus, you're as charming as an eel. Mr. Grinch." _

"Whoa," Blaise whispered.

"This is a classic," Hermione said with a laugh. "Probably cheap to get, and 'tis the season."

"What is it?" Blaise asked.

"The device is called a 'television.' ...well, kind of. It's an airplane-version of a telly. And those black things? Put them on your ears. They're called headphones; they give you the sound that matches the television's visuals."

They both did so eagerly. "This is awesome!" Blaise cried. "It's like a book, but in front of your face!"

"So, a play," Hestia teased him. "But like a portable play."

"About right," Hermione answered. "The story's about that green guy-see him, there? He's going to try and steal Christmas from a nearby town by dressing up as Santa Claus and taking all the presents and things."

Soon, Hermione was watching the movie just as earnestly as them, whispering commentary, laughing at the others', and getting the occasional "shush!" from some business suit behind them.

**_PERCY_**

"Well, Merry Christmas, big guy," Percy waved good-bye to Tyson over the Iris Message. "Tell Dad that too, okay? And Ella?"

"Merry Christmas for Daddy and Ella from Percy! I will!"

"Not that he celebrates Christmas, being a pagan god and all... at least, I don't _think _he-whatever. I'll talk to you soon."

"Bye-bye!"

The light from the IM faded, leaving the once-again-abandoned Poseidon cabin as empty and depressing as ever. Percy hurried back into the bright flurry of snow; that uneasiness he developed for his old cabin after Hogwarts never really went away. He went to the Zeus cabin, shouting, "Jason? Are you packed yet? We need to hit the road if-aw, gross!"

He'd walked in on Jason and Piper... kissing was probably the best word, but a fair amount of clothes was already on the ground. Percy shielded his eyes. "Are you serious, Grace?! Piper?! I said we had to _hurry _. This. Is not. Hurrying! This is the _opposite _of hurrying!"

"We're both done packing," Piper remarked. It was amazing how unphased she was about being walked in on in a bra and not much else. Part of the Aphrodite cabin, Percy guessed; she never seemed too fussed about people catching them doing stuff like that.

"So you were just, what, killing time?!"

"Yes," Piper answered. "You can open your eyes now. We're decent."

Jason was somehow red and pale from embarrassment at the same time. Percy assumed he didn't look much better himself. "Car leaves in twenty minutes. Please get your bags in my trunk before then. And... just do everyone a favor, and don't do-that-while you're staying at my parents' house?"

"Deal." Piper smiled in amusement. "I know Will is finished packing too; he's hounding Leo back in the Hephaestus cabin to get a move on. I think Calypso was threatening just to pack for him last time I was there." Piper bit her lip, obviously stifling laughter, then said, "you might want to pass on the 'what not to do at my parents' house' speech to Mr. Brown-Pre-med-Son-of-Apollo."

"Oh my gods... that's my _brother _Piper!" Percy groaned. "I'm leaving before you spit on my innocence any more."

"What innocence?" Piper teased.

"Exactly! It's precious!" With that, Percy left, headed for the Hephestus cabin.

**_ANNABETH_**

"That was _terrifying_," Alabaster complained to Hazel as they exited the plane terminal. "I should've followed Percy when he took the train last week."

"And gone where?" Frank reminded him. "You're not exactly welcome at Camp Half-Blood."

"Paul and Sally's?" Reyna contributed.

"Not with finals week," Annabeth answered, grimacing at the old memories. "Nico must be going through absolute shit right now, waiting for grades to come in. I don't think Ms. Jackson would've wanted the twin-terrors together again when he's already so unmotivated to study."

"You would've gone crazy on the train," Frank added. "Besides, it's not like you have to worry about Zeus blasting _you _out of the sky."

"I just don't like heights, okay?"

"Of course, Al," Hazel reassured him. "Frank, be nice."

"Tough chance," Alabaster said with a teasing smirk.

Ever since joining Camp Jupiter, Al had formed an unlikely friendship with the son of Mars, easily becoming the camp's greatest tactician, arranging new war games and new training practices that made the legion deadlier than ever. He worked closely with both Frank and Reyna now and was so brilliant that, after a while, even Reyna started to befriend him. He sort of took Annabeth's place in that respect, using Nico to relay his ideas back to Camp Half-blood. It was a bit sneakier than Annabeth would've liked, but there was no way most of the camp would listen to Al after his actions in Kronos's Army and the Wizard Genocide, and his ideas were too clever to reject due to mere prejudice, even justified prejudice. It gave Nico an excuse to come to camp on the regular, and he always put enough of a signature Ghost King flair to Al's ideas that no one ever caught on.

He came up to New York at every chance he got; while those two never said _everything _that happened during the Wizard Genocide, Annabeth knew enough to know that it was a version of her and Percy's pre-romance friendship.

_When everyone tries to kill you, you get real close real quick. _

The two were inseparable whenever they were on the same side of the country; and, whenever they got together, monsters somehow managed to attack. While not a demigod anymore, Nico could still see through the Mist and had his Stygian Iron sword and skill intact. It was more dangerous for Nico to fight monsters when he couldn't be healed by magical means, but he was usually good enough to keep from getting more than a scratch. The few times he hadn't escaped unscathed... well, that's how they got their nickname: twin terrors.

"Annabeth!" Blaise, Hestia, and Hermione were waiting outside the terminal.

She let Hestia hug her, then smiled at Blaise. "Hi, guys! Hermione? What are you doing here?"

"I'm headed up to New Hampshire. My uncle has a skiing cabin; it's kind of a tradition. My flight's delayed until the snow passes, though. The storm headed up north, so I'm stuck here for another few hours. I thought I'd pass these two on to you —they don't have... any experience in the Muggle world, really."

Annabeth laughed. "Well, Merry Christmas! Say hello to Ron for me!"

"Merry Christmas!"

Annabeth noticed a faint hollowness in Hermione's words and realized.

_It's her first Christmas without Harry. _

They met each other's eyes, thinking the same thing. Annabeth knew from experience the last thing she'd want was pity, so she didn't smile or try to reassure her. The look was solace enough.

"Kids! Over here!" Sally's voice came ringing from the luggage claim. Hestia, Blaise, Hazel, Frank, and Al all ran to greet her, but Annabeth didn't feel right to leave Hermione alone.

Reyna walked up to her. "It's in my bag. I thought we could pass it on through those Followers of Hecate-Blaise and Hestia." The murmur was inaudible to Hermione, who'd already started walking back to her terminal.

"Hermione!" Annabeth called. "Hold on! I have something to give you!"

She mouthed 'you're amazing' to Reyna, and ran to Reyna's suitcase. "Hi, Sally," she heaved as she rummaged through the pockets. "Sorry, one second."

"Annabeth...?"

"Reyna brought something for me-got it! Sorry, hold on."

She ran back to Hermione and gave her a box. "Al kind of held onto this after... you know. We didn't want to send it back through the mail, but no one was ever going to Hogwarts, so..." Hermione opened the box, to find the Marauder's Map and Harry's old wand. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Merry Christmas," Annabeth wished her again. "I mean it. Ron, too."

Silent tears began to flow from Hermione's eyes, and she barely managed to get a thank you out before sobbing in earnest.

Annabeth watched the follower of Hecate walk off into the distance. She was strangely fond of her and Ron, even a year later. "Keep them safe, Mom," Annabeth prayed under her breath. "Protect them for me."

**END NOTES**

I know Hermione probably went to the Alps to ski. I needed her to be in JFK, so shhh!  
I fucking love the Grinch. Well, the animated one. I haven't seen the live-action version, but from the reviews, I don't think I'd like it that much.

This week's beta commentary:  
STORY: Paul... crossed to the coffee pot and poured two cups... and took a long slurp  
SARA: This man takes his coffee black. Do not fuck with him.  
LISSY: I think that's the real lesson in this chapter.

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (YouTube /watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ)  
Sara - Beta Reader (Tumblr icomparemyselftoyou)  
Greta - Cover Artist (Tumblr gretassoul)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you next time!


	2. The Unspecified Holiday Party on Dec 18

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

Everyone meets up at the Jackson house for the party. Hazel reaches out to Nico.

**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: General Audiences

Content Warning: Cursing, References to Self-Harm/Suicide  
Word Count: 2348

Three things:  
1\. I am SO SORRY I didn't post yesterday! I was sick and also swamped with work and it just completely slipped my mind!  
2\. My dogs are assaulting me as I try and type. This is the cutest sabotage ever orchestrated against me.  
3\. This is the last pure-fluff chapter for a while, guys. Enjoy it.

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_PERCY_**

"LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!" Leo shouted the moment he stepped into the apartment.

"Neighbors, Leo!" Jason berated him.

Calypso chuckled. "Is it big enough in here for everyone to spend the night?"

"Oh, sure," Percy reassured her. "Everyone, put your bags in my and Nico's room. We'll figure out who gets the beds and couch and stuff later. Nico and I are going to sleep on the floor, and Mom and Paul are staying with our neighbors, so we should be good. Cramped, but good."

"Percy?" Nico emerged from his room with a huge grin; Percy easily swept his little brother up in a hug. He'd only been home for a few brief moments on his way to camp, and Nico had been in school. It was the first time they'd seen each other since Thanksgiving.

"Neeks!" Jason greeted him. Nico did the standard eye-roll, but couldn't help but smile. "Hey, Grace. Thalia couldn't make it up this year?"

"Artemis has her hunting some moose in Canada or something."

"Maybe she ran into some of Frank's family?" Piper joked, pulling Nico into another hug.

"Hey, hey! Neehhh! Piper!" Nico protested, but he didn't struggle too hard.

"What kind of sound was that, death boy?" Leo joked, already pushing random buttons on the coffee machine.

"No, Leo, you're not allowed caffeine!" Calypso tried to shoo him away but ended up locked in a shoving contest instead. "Stop! Stop!" They were both laughing hysterically. It was sickeningly cute, but Percy let it slide. It was Christmas.

"Dude, she's right," Jason said. "Remember that time you tried Starbucks? It was literally decaf but you were bouncing up the walls for a _week_."

"I know, I remember!" Leo grabbed a wooden spoon from the counter and started trying to duel Calypso with it. "Engarde! I wanted to tinker with it, that's all! Call it a-take that!-Christmas present, _mi amigos_."

"Can we not break Paul's lifeline?" Percy groaned. "And Leo, you're not Inigo Montoya. Stop trying to stab your girlfriend."

"I'm Latino! He's Spanish! I could be!" Leo poked Calypso again, who was laughing too hard to even stand upright. "You keelled my father! Prepaaare to die!"

Calypso grabbed onto the counter for support, but that portion of the counter happened to have a few pieces of paper on it, so she slipped and fell to the ground, curled up in fetal position, still laughing hysterically.

"Oh! Oh shit! Calypso!" Leo dropped the spoon and started to help her up. Everyone else started laughing right along with her.

Nico scrambled to grab the papers from the ground. "Sorry, guys. Paul was helping me with a take-home final earlier-I should've put my notes back in my room."

Will walked in while Nico still had his back turned. He'd parked the car for Percy since was the one with the key to the apartment. He put a finger to his lips, snuck up to Nico, and grabbed his arm. Nico jumped and turned; any attitude melted off his face in a second. "Will!" he cried, and wrapped him in a hug. Percy knew it was probably taking him a _lot _of self-control not to PDA, but, after Jason and Piper, that effort was much appreciated.

"Uh..." Nico sheepishly backed out of the hug and put the papers back on the counter. "Paul went to pick up a few things for dinner. He should be back in, like, twenty minutes? And Sally should be along with everyone else in about an hour.

"I brought _Cards Against Humanity_?" Will offered. "Since we can't play that once Sally and Paul get back..."

"Sold!" Leo cried. "All hands to the couch!"

Percy and Nico shared a look. It was definitely good to be back together.

**_NICO_**

_Cards Against Humanity _was definitely a fun way to pass the time. Nico himself actually got the biggest laugh near the end of the game. The black card said "Christians hate _." and Nico, not having any good answers, decided to throw out a card. So, not knowing where in Tartarus he'd use "altar boys," he put it down. That won the round. No one would explain what the joke was, though.

"Leave it be, Neeks," Jason warned, heaving with laughter.

"I used to be Catholic you know," Nico complained, "My whole family was! It won't be hard to explain-"

Every single person laughing in the room waived the question away, most saying something to the effect of, "just drop it." Nico made a mental note to ask Paul or Sally after everyone left, and picked a card for the next round. "My fetish is doing _ with _. ...Um, what's a fetish?"

That one Will whispered in his ear. Being technically ninety years old was annoying sometimes.

When Sally arrived, Percy did the smart thing and went into the hallway to meet Annabeth. Nico, Leo, Al, and Piper all bet the Jackson family's last Swiss chocolate bar on how long it would take for them to come back inside. Piper won with 'fifteen minutes' which was unfair because Nico said 'thirteen minutes' and they came in at fourteen minutes. Piper swore that it was fourteen minutes, thirty seconds, and Al backed her up, but Nico saw Al walking around with something that looked suspiciously like a piece of chocolate a few minutes later.

A Mario Kart tournament began, with Reyna, Jason, Percy, and Annabeth competing in round one. "The round of the love square!" Leo dubbed it.

"Hey!" Hazel harped. "It is a love _hexagon_, Leo Valdez! Nico and Piper were a big part of that all!"

Then, it came time for presents. The demigods had all decided that they'd chip in together by camp to get a few big presents since they were all basically broke. Will got to tag along with the Camp Half-Blood crew, because Nico insisted.

Hestia and Blaise chipped in together to get those cool two-way mirror collectable items from Hogsmeade, (since the drachmas expense made his parents force Nico to forgo weekly IMs), a complete set of the _Assassin's Creed _games from the Camp Jupiter people, a Celestial Bronze shield from the Camp Half-blood people (with a comment from Leo that Leo did most of the work). His favorite present, however, was from Will (as an extra) and his parents: a commuter's pass to Providence, Rhode Island, so he could visit Will in college more often.

Hazel's Camp Half-blood gift, a membership to a horse-barn-thing where she could ride trails and stuff (proposed by Nico), went over really well. His individual gift to Will, a new phone case that read "If you need to ask, don't" (Will's new favorite phrase) got a nice laugh from everyone too.

The most memorable reaction, however, came at the end. Percy had already given Annabeth an individual gift-this owl necklace that matched her old earrings-but said at the end that he'd accidentally forgotten the other half of the gift. "It was a box set," he explained, searching for the last box in his bag from Camp Half-blood. "I ran out of time to wrap this one, which is why I didn't put it under the tree."

The next second, he pulled out a little black box. A ring.

"Oh my gods..." Annabeth whispered. Nico looked around. Piper knew, and so did himself, Sally, and Paul, since Percy spent the last month planning and running everything by them. Piper had been especially helpful, between her close friendship with Annabeth and (probably) a council of Aphrodite kids under a sworn oath to zip it.

"Not until we're out of college, at least," Percy promised Annabeth. He was still sitting crisscrossed on the floor next to her, the little black box unopened in his hand, "I know how much you want to do, and I'd never make you choose between a career and me. But, we've been to Hell and back more times than I can count... we've _somehow _managed to stay alive and together through so much... and, I know that a lot of college couples end up happily married, so it doesn't really feel irresponsible anymore."

Annabeth laughed, tearing up. "When did you become practical, seaweed brain?"

"Day I met you," Percy answered smoothly, with his trademarked 'I'm the awesomest' grin. "I love you, Annabeth, and I don't ever want to lose you. I don't know what my life would be like without you-actually, I do. It would be over. Because I would be dead."

Another laugh. But neither of them were paying any attention to the group reactions.

"Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, will you marry me? At some undetermined point before one of us dies?"

He opened the ring. He wasn't lying; it was a box set. The beautiful little owl, sapphires for tiny little eyes, glowed as bright as the moon against the black velvet of the box.

"Yes," Annabeth whispered.

"She said yes!" Percy yelled, throwing both fists into the air. "Shit-here's the ring. You should probably put that on-"

"-before you drop it and one of the eyes fall out, yeah." Annabeth laughed again and kissed him lightly on the lips. "What would you do without me?"

"I literally just said-I would die."

In the commotion, Hazel grabbed Nico's hand and nodded towards his bedroom. He wanted to wish Percy congratulations but knew they'd have plenty of time for that in the days to come. So, he followed her into the other room.

She quietly closed the door.

"Some night, huh?" Hazel asked. Nico nodded. He knew when she was upset, and this was one of those moments. He'd been getting that on his radar all night-how quiet she was, and her smiles seemed a little forced-but she was too good at hiding her own feelings for him to know for sure, and he hadn't had a moment alone with her yet to ask.

"I was talking to Dad the other day-"

_Of fucking course. Screw her feelings. _

Nico stood up and started to head for the door, but Hazel blocked it. "Let me go."

"No, Nico."

"I want to wish Percy and Annabeth congratulations."

"In a minute."

"Hazel!" Nico slapped the foot of his bed. "How many times do you have to do this to me?! How many times do we have to have this argument?!"

"He cares about you, Nico!"

"That isn't _good _enough anymore!"

"You can't hold this grudge forever! You have no idea what he had to go through to keep you, Bianca, and me safe! You need to learn to forgive!"

"Not everything can be forgiven! This is a prime example. Now let me go!"

"No!"

"How many times will you let him put you up to this?! Just- just tell him to move _on_!"

"He's your _Dad_! He's not going to-"

"He's my _father_! He is _not_ my Dad! Nonno, Paul, they're a Dad! Chiron, hell, _Percy _has been more of a parent than him!"

Nico tried to rip Hazel from the doorframe. She resisted, but after a few seconds of scuffle, he was able to shove her onto the foot of his bed. "This is killing him, Nico!"

"He was killing me!" Nico screamed, eyes wild.

He'd never told anyone about his suicide attempt. Percy, in the letter, yes, but he'd been rather vague on purpose and never really gone into much detail. The only time he'd mentioned it was to Harry, in the Chamber of Secrets, when he knew the follower of Hecate was minutes away from death. And, even then, it had taken such _anger _to get rid of his filter.

Now, the sweetest person in his life knew the truth in the most horrible way possible. Because he got angry. Again.

_Way to ruin Christmas, Nico. _

Hazel didn't say anything; she couldn't. So, Nico tried again. "He put too much pressure on me, Haze. He doesn't like being failed. You have Pluto, who doesn't interact that much with the outside world. Hades... he's different. It was some stupid luck that a random follower of Hecate walked into the bathroom that day... if he hadn't... I can't go back to that. I can't keep holding on."

Hazel stood up slowly and wrapped her arms around Nico. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't know it was that bad."

"It's okay," he whispered back. "I love you."

Nico snuck out of the apartment at midnight; it was easy since he was sleeping on the floor by the door. He went to his favorite spot, a shadowy corner under the stairwell, and shadow traveled away.

It was December 19th again. Seven years since Bianca died.

Nico wasn't guilty anymore, but he wanted to remember his family. Nonno and Nonna, Mamma and Bianca, living in la Val d'Aosta and secretly working against Mussolini. So, he decided to return to their graves each December 19th. To give himself a day to mourn and remember, but not to lament. Maybe one day he'd take Will up here, or Percy, or Hazel.

He picked a few wildflowers from the roadside and crossed into the graveyard.

_Nonno, Nonna, I'm sorry you never knew the truth. I think you'd be proud of me. _

_Mamma, you were a hero. More than anyone at Camp Half-blood or Jupiter... because you didn't have to be. _

_Bianca... I wish things had been different. I will always love you. _

He sat there, humming his mother's old lullaby to himself. He looked up at the stars in the clear, Italian sky, and found the Big Dipper. His mother's favorite constellation; she'd always follow the panhandle to meet up with Papà. Hades.

A breeze whipped around Nico's face, startlingly similar to the one way back on his sixteenth birthday, when Hades summoned him with the Helm of Darkness.

"I love you, Papà," he said, shaking horribly. "That's why..." Familiar words came back to him, Bianca's words. "I love you, Papà. Unconditionally."

Just for a second, the Big Dipper seemed to twinkle out of existence, as though it was blocked by something.

But, perhaps, it was only in his head.

**END NOTES**

The Leo/Calypso thing? An actual moment between me and my (then) boyfriend. We're friends now, but I still have not forgiven him for making me turn into a laugh-fetus.

Nico's "Cards Against Humanity" fuck up? ALSO an actual thing that happened to me. I was Nico. I AM A STUPID JEW OKAY?! (And I know what was funny NOW, because I looked it up later that evening.)

I stole "love hexagon" from High School Story/Hollywood U, these free apps by Pixleberry. They're amazing, by the way, so you should totally download it.

If I said that Will went to a different college in the first fic, I apologize. Tell me in comments, and I'll correct it. I word-searched the fic just in case, but I couldn't find anything with "college" or "university" or "gap year" that applied to Will.

This week's beta commentary:  
STORY: Since the drachmas expense made his parents force Nico to forgo weekly IMs  
SARA: Man, how rich is Iris?  
LISSY: I'm pretty sure at this point, Iris built a new wing in her shop and put "paid for with contributions from Nico di Angelo" on the wall.

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (YouTube /watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ)  
Sara - Beta Reader (Tumblr icomparemyselftoyou)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you next time!

**COMMENTS**

Thank you to **GalaxyGirl0917,** **Nibra Ha Rishon, PercabethPerzoeJeyna **and** ShadeFireDragon** for favoriting this story!

**FestusGirl**

_Great chapter. Loved the ending of part one by the way. Oh and are you still updating twice a week? :)_  
_And RIP Harry. Poor Hermione and Ron._

I am still updating twice a week, I just screwed up. And I'm glad you liked the ending-full disclosure, this chapter and the last chapter used to be the same chapter, and these two chapters used to be a one-shot before I decided to write a full-on sequel. I just kept getting ideas and one-shots weren't cutting it anymore! But when it's not a one-shot, it has no right to be almost 6,000 words so I had to split it up. The ending was the best place I found to cut the piece, and I added Annabeth praying to her mom to give it something to go out on. So, I'm glad that actually worked.

**ShadeFireDragon**

_Oh my goodness, Paul sounds scary now XD BEWARE THE BEING THAT IS NAMED PAUL_

BEWARE THE BLOWFISH!

**The Goode Ravenclaw**

_so the last chapter wasn't working on [FF], so I just literally went onto wattpad to read it because I couldn't wait to read this. I stopped my own writing so then I could read this!_

_oh my goodness I love Blaise and Hestia so much, they are so ***oblivious (which makes sense) and I love how Hermione explained everything to them! I really love how this is going so far_

_RIP Harry_

It wasn't working? That's odd. Blaise and Hestia are the best, aren't they? I love writing for purebloods, they're so clueless it's adorable. Thanks for the compliments, and yes, RIP Harry. Your sacrifice brought peace to the Wizarding World.


	3. Nico Gets All Broody Again

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

Nico reflects on the Wizard Genocide. Thalia arrives for the Winter Solstice meeting.

**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: General Audiences  
Content Warning: Cursing  
Word Count: 3875

I'm going to C2E2 (three-day pass!) and I've spent most of today getting my Bianca di Angelo cosplay together and it's going to look awesome. Then I helped my friend Brian who's going with me find a sword for his Jason cosplay, and that took like three hours but we found one!

Moral of the story: if you're going to C2E2 lemme know so we can meet up! Also, cosplay is hard.

And all the characters are owned by J.K. Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_CHO_**

One. Now two.

The nights were far too long, and each one stretched longer than the last. Each day the sun set faster and rose at a crawling pace. Each night, the darkness got thicker until it was tangible, pulling at the skin, slicing the lips, twisting the stomach until she begged for mercy. The darkness sapped the moisture from her skin, leaving a mummy in its wake. Hot, biting tears fought to be released with no such catharsis. Tears didn't help the first time, why should they help the second?

Did curses truly exist? Not the magical kind, the karmic. Did the universe choose at random who to elevate and who to damn? Could it push the hands of time? Could it pluck thoughts from the head or whisper them into the brain? Did it plant love and longing, anger and hatred, happiness and disgust? Did it choose at random who should live and who should die, and who should be left behind to brave the ever-growing night?

In Alice and Wonderland, the Mad Hatter insulted Time and was stuck at three o'clock in the afternoon every day until Time could forgive him. He was forced to sit at his tea table and go through the motions of tea time again and again, moving from place setting to place setting as the food ran out and tea got cold. His life was a merry-go-round; what he once enjoyed was now a prison.

Was Time offended, accidentally angered somehow? Did Time slow the clock each midnight, turning the bed into a merry-go-round, the sheets a prison? Did it whisper these thoughts and feelings out of spite? Did it stop up the eyes to keep the tears from flowing? Did it curse her?

She tried to step out of her bed like she did every night, but her feet wouldn't budge. Why should they? What was the point of the merry-go-round? Classes, Quidditch, more classes, more Quidditch. With Umbridge gone, the D.A. was dead. With the exchange program over Annabeth was gone, and the crushing loneliness had set in again. Marietta left her, saying she couldn't take the crying anymore, saying she'd come back when she grew up and that it was for her own good. As if she did it to spite her! Didn't she know how much she wished she could stop? How many Galleons she'd pay to let it all pass?

Her classes meant nothing, Quidditch meant nothing, everything meant nothing. The sun wasn't warm anymore, food tasted bland, the lake no longer sparkled, books no longer entertained her, homework wasn't painful, taunts didn't hurt her... all she ever felt anymore was gray. Just gray. A dark gray that turned to black each time she fell into that prison of a bed.

Would she give up Cedric to go back to the carefree girl whose thoughts were dominated by Quidditch stats and O.W.L.'s? Could she? He made her so happy, he colored the world, turned everything vibrant and glowing. The gray was even more noticeable now because of it. And Harry, so different from Cedric, and yet a shining glimmer of hope to pull her out of this darkness. He lowered a rope for her and reached out his hand, pushing her higher and higher until she could finally see the occasional pale blues and yellows. As she reached up to grab it, Time pulled him away and let her fall yet again.

If Time gave out curses, she was cursed to never love again. Death was commissioned to make sure of that. Why? What had she done to Time to force this merry-go-round? Why snatch Cedric only to take Harry too? If Time could just tell her what she'd done, she'd spend each endless night repenting until, at last, she could see the palest of colors.

She longed to see the pearly clouds and the beaming sun again. She wanted to taste the sweetness of blueberries and cream. She wanted to hear a laugh echo off the walls as she turned the smoke from the fireplace into different shapes with a few whispered spells. She wanted characters to leap off the pages of her book and back into her imagination.

Alice got to walk away from the Mad Hatter's tea party. He was stuck in that never-ending cycle. What would it take for Time to forgive, and allow him to chase after her into the glory of Wonderland?

"Goodnight, Cedric. Goodnight, Harry. If you loved me, ask Time to set me free? Remember me, please. I promise I won't forget you."

**_ANNABETH_**

The creak of the cabin door woke Annabeth from a troubled sleep. That was odd because since the holiday party at the Jackson's she'd been sleeping better than usual. Maybe it was because she was at camp again? She and the others returned from New York yesterday. She couldn't remember her dream, which was maybe a good thing... so why did that unsettle her even more? What was going on? Had Athena spoken to her? If so, that could only be bad news.

"I'm sorry if I woke you up."

Annabeth rolled over to see a disheveled Nico waiting patiently in the doorway. That wasn't exactly out of the ordinary; December 19th was always a hard time for him. Nico probably spent most of yesterday crying. He'd disappeared from the holiday party at the Jackson's apartment by the time everyone woke up. Beyond a shaky assurance from Hazel that Nico wasn't about to run off again, Annabeth hadn't given it much thought.

"Hard night?" she asked.

"Yeah," Nico said. "Can we go for a walk? I left something at Bunker Nine."

"The last time you said that you set off a war between Hades and Hecate."

"I promise not to do that this time."

"On the Styx?"

"The gods are too unpredictable for me to have that much faith in them. But one step below the Styx I'll do."

Annabeth sighed as she pulled herself up off his bed. "Wait for me outside. I'll throw some clothes on."

When Annabeth got out of the cabin, she saw Nico chatting with a young girl tending to the campfire. They seemed like good friends, old friends. Annabeth never paid her much mind-she always assumed she was one of the many nymphs that hung around the camp and not too important. She'd have to ask Nico about her later.

Nico bid the girl farewell, then jogged over to Annabeth. "Let's go."

They walked in silence for a while, letting the morning birds' _chirp chirp chirp _and the sound of waves crashing onto the shore fill their natural silence. Whatever Annabeth felt when she woke up washed away with the sounds of the woods. If it was important, she'd have another dream. Athena would never forget something major so easily.

"What did you leave at Bunker Nine?" Annabeth asked.

"My iPod. Leo's working on one of his projects and asked me to... what did he say, be his 'Penny Gadget?' Don't know what that means, but it's apparently handing him monkey wrenches and sledgehammers as he asks for them."

"What invention needs both a monkey wrench and a sledgehammer?"

"How should I know? I've never even used a printer before."

"How can you operate without a printer in high school?"

"Not doing homework. Or scaring people into printing my essays for me. Or convincing Sally and Paul to."

"What do you have against printers, Nico?"

He smiled to himself like he was sharing some secret inside joke. "I like typewriters better."

At that point, they'd reached Bunker Nine. Annabeth expected Nico to go inside, but he didn't; he stared off into the distance instead, searching for a shadow.

"Hades spoke to me here. This is where it all started. The Wizard Genocide. Right here." He knelt to the ground and scooped up a small, circular rock. Annabeth watched him study it, then toss it away like it was nothing. She didn't like it when Nico acted all mysterious. It usually meant something was really wrong.

"Are you coming to the Solstice meeting tomorrow?"

Nico ignored the question. "I change my mind. I'll come back for the iPod later. Let's go to Zeus's Fist."

"Okay..." Annabeth said to herself. She was definitely thrown off, but she also knew that he wouldn't come to her over nothing. There were times when she thought she could predict what Nico would do, or that she knew what he was thinking, then a moment like this would come to remind her that he wasn't so easily understood. Like it or not, she had to accept that she would never be able to truly decode Nico. But, as much as Annabeth hated the mystery, it was okay. As long as he had somebody, as long as he didn't go back to the boy terrified of Cupid, everything was all right.

They sat together on Zeus's Fist. It wasn't comfortable, but neither felt like getting their jeans all dirty by sitting on the ground.

"Who let you into camp?" Annabeth asked.

"I shadow-traveled in." Nico replied.

"How can you do that if you're a mortal?" Annabeth pressed.

Nico shrugged. Silence fell again.

_I wish Percy was here. He'd know what to say._

_That's __**why**__ he came to you, Annabeth. He doesn't want you to say anything at all. Give him time to find the right words; he'll talk eventually._

The sounds of the birds and waves took over once again. Annabeth studied Nico carefully; he sat, still as a statue, eyes fixed on the distant horizon.

"I went to Italy last night." There was no emotion in his voice, no movement with his words. "When I was on the run last year, I found the gravesite of my family. I went back there to lay flowers on their graves. Hazel and I had a fight before I left. I don't know if I'd've gone back to_ la Valle d'Aosta _otherwise." Nico let out a small, disgusted laugh. "I don't ever know what I'm doing, do I?"

"No one does, really," Annabeth assured him.

He finally turned to face her. "You always do," he said.

She chuckled. "No, I just act like I do. Ignore me-look at your brother, the seaweed brain. Or Jason, the Roman demigod in a Greek camp. He even uses the Roman names for everything; people look at him weird all the time."

"That's 'cause no one ever knows who he's talking about. Sorry, when you say 'Venus' my mind goes to a rock in the sky with mercury rain and all the volcanoes." Nico gave the tinest of smiles. "School's finally got to me."

That smile was her opening. His guard was falling down. So, Annabeth looked him straight in the eye and said, "All right, what's going on? You normally go to Hazel when you're like this."

"Like what?"

"All... broody."

"I don't brood," he protested. Annabeth raised her eyebrows. He crossed his arms, shook his head, and went, "Mmm-mmm."

"Here's what _I_ think," Annabeth said as though she were in a Sherlock Holmes novel. "I think that if _you_ came to _me_, it means something's seriously wrong and _I'm_ the only one who can fix it. It's not just teenage angst."

Nico nudged her with his shoulder. "Hey!"

"You know I'm right."

"You usually are. Children of Athena are annoying." The two of them shared a small chuckle. Then, Nico's face fell. "Hazel told me I shouldn't give up on Hades," he admitted. "I said some stuff I shouldn't have and ran off. When I got to Italy... I swear I felt Hades' presence. And something just... came over me, Annabeth. I told him I loved him, if he was even there. After all that I've gone through, after all this shit, how could I say that?"

Annabeth thought for a moment. "You were emotional and overwhelmed. People say stuff they don't mean when they're grieving."

"But..." Nico searched for the right words. "I... I'm not... not sure if I didn't mean it. Like I said, I don't even know what I'm doing. The end of the war, the quest itself, it's all just a blur now. It doesn't even feel _real _. And so much of it doesn't make any sense at all. The first dream I had about the unicorn, what Dumbledore said to me, some of the things Hecate and Hades said to me... I don't know. I don't like not knowing."

"Believe me, I can relate," Annabeth said, "but life doesn't wrap up in a neat little bow. I get wanting that knowledge, but, sometimes you need to realize that there isn't always a meaning to everything. What I'm saying is, it's over, Nico. It doesn't matter anymore."

"It does to me," he insisted. "The Artifacts did more than drag me to the Underworld. When I wore them, I _was _Lord Voldemort. Not Tom Riddle, Voldemort. Harry... all the horrible things he did to me... the more I've thought about the prophecy... I've changed what I thought it meant so many times. Revealing myself to Harry, that's what saved me. What he said, it saved me. I resisted Riddle. I went toe-to-toe with a god. And," his voice went to a whisper now, "I out-manipulated a goddess."

"And you gave up your father," she finished for him. "You want to know how much of that was you, and how much wasn't."

There was another long silence. "I don't regret my choice. But, I didn't have a choice. But I did have a choice, too. I did what I was destined to do, but also what I wanted to do, and it's the best decision I've ever made, if it was a decision, since the prophecy said I had to, but it didn't feel like I had to. I'm so confused! It all makes my brain hurt."

Annabeth put a gentle hand on his shoulder. Nico didn't push it off. "Give me some time to think, okay? We should get back to camp before everyone arrives for the Solstice meeting."

Nico shook his head. "No, I'll join you later. I want to get some rest, I didn't get much sleep last night."

"I'll walk you back to the cabins, then." Annabeth stood up and pulled Nico with her. He resisted at first; a few moments passed until he finally let her overpower him. There was a silent understanding between them now. She promised to help him work through it all, later, when they had more time. She was right, she needed time to think. She was as unsure as he was, except in one regard: whatever that anxiety was, whatever she'd forgotten from her dream, that talk about Nico's quest was the only thing that seemed to soothe it.

**_THALIA_**

"Annabeth!" Thalia cried, beaming ear to ear. Her little sister was engaged. Being a hunter, she wasn't well-versed in what to do, but she could figure out the basics. "Congratulations!"

_Yeah, that sounds right. _

Thalia was glad that Lady Artemis granted her request to come to Camp Half-Blood ahead of the other Hunters. She could imagine what Roszí would say, and it would probably put a damper on Annabeth's happily ever after.

Thalia remembered what it was like to be young, in love with a boy who'd saved your life time after time. If Percy decided to give himself to Kronos, though, only Lady Artemis herself could top the damage Thalia would deliver at the end of her hunt.

Percy, with all his faults, didn't seem in danger of doing that. For now.

Annabeth blushed. She had a huge grin on her face, but there was something in her eyes, something troubling. Thalia made a mental note to ask her about it later.

Percy stumbled through the engagement story and Hazel gleefully filled in the blanks (all while Frank stood there awkwardly). Thalia did her best to listen. She didn't care about all the drama, enough of a reason for her mind to wander, but she'd left the other Hunters in a bad state back in Nunavut. Nothing they couldn't handle, of course, otherwise nothing and no one could've kept Thalia away from helping her sisters. She still worried; even Lady Artemis drew attention to it before she left.

_So far north, the sun didn't shine in December, and the influence of the gods grew weaker. Even Lady Artemis didn't have as strong a scent so close to the solstice, because the full moon shone as rarely as the sun. Monsters roamed freely, restlessly, freshly formed from the pits of Tartarus and hungry for vengeance on those who'd sent them to the sludge. No half-blood dare hunt in the Arctic Circle during wintertime, which meant that the Hunters must always have a foothold there. Even if the hunt was dangerous, the Hunt could never-and should never-stop._

_It was early in the morning on December 19th when Lady Artemis called Thalia into her tent for a private meeting. This wasn't uncommon, especially since she was her first lieutenant, but her Lady seemed a bit more reserved than usual._

_"How is Kante, Thalia?"_

_"Fourth-degree burns, according to Ianthe, my Lady. Not hard to heal. We'll be ready to break camp in a few hours. What were they? I've never seen monsters like that before."_

_Artemis nodded gravely. "A hybrid between a firecrab and manticore. One of Hecate's creations. Many monsters of her lands have migrated west, as those of the Underworld come north. And yet, none have retreated."_

_"That's why we Hunt, my Lady," Thalia told her, "Monsters don't retreat on their own."_

_"The Great Stirring may have ended, but I can still feel its tremors. The monsters are restless and, without their Patron and Matron holding them back, there will be chaos. We avoided it last year, but only just. It feels like the gods in question forgot to pull back on loose reins. We must not let them overrun us."_

"Hazel-" Frank said as he pulled his girlfriend away from Thalia. She followed his eyes to Piper, strolling towards them over the hill while a few (presumably) Aphrodite stragglers waited for her by the Big House. Jason walked alongside her, too.

Thalia forced herself to stay where she was, though the big sister in her was dying to give Jason a huge hug. Instead, she waited for them to join her.

She met Piper's eyes. "Jason looks happy. Your fault, I guess?"

"I try."

"Just make sure he stays that way, or..." with a quick prayer to Zeus, a massive bolt of lightning struck Half-Blood Hill, complete with an ominous clap of thunder. Everyone minus Piper and Thalia winced.

"Yes, ma'am," Piper said with a smile.

Thalia forgot how empty the camp was during the winter months. When she strolled into the Dining Pavilion with her friends, four half-bloods (none of whom she recognized) sat at a single table (she wasn't sure which god's) and ate. A young woman Thalia didn't recognize sat with a Latino boy at the Hephaestus table. To her annoyance, that was the table Annabeth chose to sit down at.

Reluctantly, Thalia squeezed between Annabeth and Jason. Immediately, the Latino boy looked up and gave her a revolting grin. "_Hola_," he said, trying to sound charming. Thalia rolled her eyes in disgust. She remembered who he was now. Leo never changed.

"What's your name?" Thalia asked the woman next to Leo.

The woman ignored Leo's indignant huff. "Calypso," she said. "You're Thalia? Annabeth mentioned you, many times. Don't worry about Leo, he's a little, um-"

"Bitter?" Piper offered. Everyone laughed, except Leo. "Calypso just got back from a year in Costa Rica."

"I study plants in the jungle," Calypso explained. "Leo gets grumpy when I stay away too long." She playfully punched Leo's shoulder. "Say hello."

"I did. '_Hola_' means 'hello' in Spanish. See? This is why you need me in Costa Rica. I could be your translator."

"Leo!" a girl interrupted, "the Hephaestus cabin set itself on fire again!"

"I thought we fixed that bug!" Leo muttered to himself, gears whizzing in his brain. All his annoying confidence came back, and his foul mood seemed to pass. "Gotta go!" He ran off with the girl towards the cabins.

"Well, on that note!" Piper whispered to Thalia, who laughed. She wiped buttery crumbs off her fingers and stood. "The Hermes Cabin is having another auction, and I heard there are some Apollo-designed heat-seeking arrows in the mix if you want to come. And a laptop that's disguised as a bomb. I think they stole that from the Ares Cabin."

"It's the Hermes cabin," Jason pointed out. "I'm sure it's all stolen."

Thalia pushed her scrambled eggs away. It turned out that she wasn't that hungry. "I could use a distraction," she said. "Anna-"

Somehow, she'd had already disappeared.

It wasn't that hard to slip away from Piper and the others unnoticed. It took Thalia an embarrassing amount of time for a first lieutenant of Artemis to track down Annabeth and, as it turned out, Nico di Angelo. She found them talking next to the hearth in the U outside the cabins. She wanted to eavesdrop; they hadn't noticed her yet and she sure as Hades wasn't going to interrupt Nico when he had such a serious face on. He could still match Thalia in battle pretty well, even without demigod powers, and he didn't like people who caught him off-guard.

_He hates eavesdroppers more. _

Thalia cleared her throat. They turned. "Well?" she asked. "What's up?"

Nico rolled his eyes and marched off towards the Hades cabin. "Why did you do that?" Annabeth snapped.

"Hey!" she called. Annabeth was running after Nico, so she joined in the chase. "You can see Nico whenever you want. I'm back in New York for the first time in more than a year. Death Boy can be all broody later, can't he?"

They walked into the Hades cabin together and promptly crashed into Nico. "Wha...?"

Thalia didn't have much time to get her bearings. On the other side of Nico, in the interior of the cabin, was a teenage girl with tanned skin and brown hair that curled and floated in the wind. She wore a sundress made of ever-changing pastel colors, flower-shaped gemstone jewelry, and a tiara of gold and silver, pressed with every precious gem Thalia had ever seen with a black opal at the top.

The girl finished watering a potted plant in the center of the Hades cabin. When she knelt to put it on the ground, Thalia saw she had a ring of black gold and a pink diamond on her finger. She turned, revealing glowing golden eyes and pink, glossy lips. When she saw the demigods, she huffed, as though her mother had stepped in front of the T.V. set and told her to get her homework done.

"I thought you'd be alone," she complained to Nico. "You're always alone."

"I know you..." Thalia said. She couldn't place it... then, her eyes landed on a certain sword hanging at the woman's side. Thalia clenched her fists. "Oh."

"Hello, daughter of Zeus," she said. "I am Persephone."

**END NOTES**

Roszí is pronounced ROW-shee.

This week's beta commentary:  
STORY: "Hard night?" he asked.  
SARA: there's a joke about hard mornings here that i'm not gonna directly make  
LISSY: But we shall all make it in our heads.

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (YouTube /watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ)  
Sara - Beta Reader (Tumblr icomparemyselftoyou)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you next time!

**COMMENTS**

Thank you to **asurakami89** and **Bella**** the Demigod Wizard** for favoriting this story!

**Bella the Demigod Wizard**

_Can i just say that the first part of dialogue in this is such a f*** mood? Just everything about is relatable AF. And as promised im commenting from hell— Hermione's sadness was too much for me to take in. I didn't know how emotional i could become over a goddam piece of fictional writing, but it's obviously WAY more than that to me._

I wrote the first two chapters of this fic during winter break of my senior year of high school. Let's just say that I was _really _stressed about school. And give me your tears, Bella, they're yummy ;)

Princess Bride reference? Um YES PLEASE!

_Oh and I was crying at Cards Against Humanity. Literally. OH! And Percabeth? Like? I FORGOT THEY WERE OLD ENOUGH? I legitimately screamed at that part. Oh gods. (And am i the only one being immesly worried about there being no fluff chapters till later on? What are you going to do with these characters?)_

The Cards Against Humanities thing happened to me! Too! And it was equally hillarious there. And, hey, I made you scream for a good reason? Yay! I'm not saying there isn't going to be any fluff, just that there won't be any chapters that are pure 100% fluff for a bit.

**FestusGirl**

_This was adorable and I don't care that you didn't post on time. All I care for is a great chapter, w[h]ich btw hit expectation point skyhigh_

Well I'm glad that you didn't mind I was a day late. I felt bad, but no one got mad at me, which is good. I'm glad you liked the chapter! More to come!

**The Goode Ravenclaw**

_ya know what I need? mOrE lEO vAlDez! I love him so much- he is my baby... but ANYWAY I was literally screaming when Percy proposed because it was so cute! I really can't wait for the next chapter! I am loving this so much already, and solangelo is so cute... but then again you said that three would be a whole lot more Nico and alabaster (Nilabaster?) and I am preparing my heart for the heartbreak if solangelo goes bye bye._

I'm sorry to say there's not much Leo in this fic, but he gets a bunch of cameos. Will I write a fic starring Leo one day? Hell yes, but it's not this one. I'm glad you liked the proposal! See, I can write happy stuff too! :P I prefer Nicabaster. When I said that, I meant platonically. You think I'm going to break up solangelo? Nico tried to break things off with Will last fic, and I was like NOPE GET BACK TOGETHER and then Nico died and I was like NOPE GET BACK TOGETHER YOU'RE ALIVE AGAIN.

_Aww, Nico still loves Hades. I also had to search up altar boys. I am shooketh. I also really want to buy Cards of Humanity now lol. I mean, I've always wanted to, but I'm a kid, and... ya know XD Now awaiting the next update with enthusiasm!  
Oh yes, I almost forgot. Can you please please please let Blaise and Hestia find out what a microwave is? Cuz I really wanna read that. I mean, if they haven't already found out._

Now you know his relationship with Hades is a little more complicated, but I don't think he'll ever stop truly loving Hades in his own little way. And OMG I am so sorry this was your introduction to that clusterfuck! CoF is fun, you should totally buy it. I don't have a microwave scene but maybe I'll write a short one-shot later down the road because I like that idea.


	4. Annabeth Becomes a Chrysanthemum

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

Nico, Annabeth, and Thalia speak to their divine guest. Hermione enjoys vacation with her family.  


**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: General Audiences  
Content Warning: Cursing  
Word Count: 3677

SPOILERS FOR "THE SWORD OF HADES" FROM "THE DEMIGOD FILES". Use the link below to read it, pages 35-44. Thalia will make no sense here if you don't know the story.

file/d/0B33MEtG4tzm_VDRJWlB3N0lGalU/preview

Thanks for understanding about last night, guys. I got to work early today, recovered my comupter, and here we are!

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_HERMIONE_**

"No fair!" Jeremy cried. "You cheated!"

"No, I took a shortcut down the mountain," Hermione corrected him. "I went on the same mountain as you, and you could've taken that shortcut too."

It wasn't often Hermione got to hang out with her aunt, uncle, and cousins. Uncle Tyler moved to New Jersey when she was a toddler because Aunt Sadie's entire family lived there. She relished in these visits as the best of both worlds: she got to travel and ski, see her distant family, and, since Hogwarts, spend time with her parents too. As much as she loved being a witch, she needed time in the muggle world every now and again. Modern amenities were nice.

"Hermione!" Mum called. She was standing a little further from the mountain with the rest of the adults, waiting for her to come down. Hermione pushed herself forward with her ski poles and slid to where her family was waiting.

"Where's April and Tanisha?" Aunt Sadie asked.

"Further up," Hermione said, "But they should be down pretty soon. Are we done for the day?"

Dad nodded. "The sun's setting, and we saw some clouds while we were waiting. I don't want to get caught on the mountain during a blizzard."

"The weather's been crazy all year," Uncle Tyler said. "It's been snowing and hailing like crazy, and I don't think summer made it past seventy-five degrees."

"Global warming," Aunt Sadie replied. "Hurricanes were up too. We had to buy a generator after the number of times the power shut off. You'd think after the millionth tree fell on the power lines and caught on fire the county would vote to put them underground."

"That's insane," Dad said. "It was the same in Manchester. Flash floods and storms constantly. I worried about this one in Scotland." He bumped Hermione's shoulder with the typical embarrassing Dad grin.

"Dad!" she protested, shrinking away.

April and Tanisha arrived at that very moment. Hermione was grateful for the interruption. Weather usually wasn't a scary topic, but with the Greco-Roman gods revelation one year ago, Hermione had been brushing up on her mythology. Bad weather usually meant that something divine was brewing, and godly intervention didn't end well for the mortals involved. She hoped to the gods it was climate change or some rare meteorological event. Dad always sent her muggle newspapers so she could keep up with what was going on at home. She remembered a few articles attempting to explain the weather, but none were conclusive, and none gave her much relief.

She took a long, hot shower after they made it back to the ski lodge. Sure enough, a blizzard rolled in by the time she was out, and one glance at her phone announced there would be six more feet of snow once morning came.

She put her worries away when she joined her family for dinner. Skiing took a lot out of her, and she was starving. She joked and laughed with her cousins, ate up Uncle Tyler and Dad's famous chicken parmesan, and, once dinner ended, Jeremy challenged her to a rematch race to the mailbox. He won, of course. He was only fourteen, but already taller than Hermione.

"You got a letter from your boyfriend!" Jeremy shouted when they got inside. Hermione reached for it, but Jeremey held it up too high for her to reach.

"Oooo," April said. "_Hermione has a boyfriend_!" She sang like she was on the playground. She was nine, and not exactly mature for her age.

"Give me that," Tanisha, twelve, said. She was taller than Hermione, tall enough to snatch the letter from Jeremy and spare her the indignity of jumping like some dog. "Here you go." She handed the letter to her.

"Thank you," Hermione said. "I'm going to my room."

Once there, she wrapped herself in a blanket and opened the letter.

_Hermione, _

_Hope things are good in New Hampshire. Still can't get over the image of you sliding down a mountain with straps of wood on your feet. Muggle sports are odd, but as long as you're having fun, I guess I can't judge. _

_Things are crazy here like always. Percy came back. He said he was an idiot to put work before family, but I don't believe him. Mum and Dad forgave him on the spot, but the rest of us aren't keen on him being around. We agreed to keep it civil for Mum's sake, but the whole thing's ruining Christmas, honestly. I can't wait until you're back. _

_Another thing: you remember Fleur Delacour, the Beauxbatons champion during the Triwizard Tournament? Bill started dating her, so she's over for the holidays too. She got a part-time job at Gringotts and that's that. She's nice enough but she and Bill are all soppy and it puts me off my supper. I like her on her own, but I give them space. _

_I only got home yesterday, so there's not much else to report from my end. I don't know how long muggle post takes and I didn't want Pig to deliver it in case your family saw him. Turns out Fleur's a half-blood, so she sent this for me. Hope you're not grossed out, but she had to lick the envelope to seal it. I wanted to use a normal seal, but Fleur said it would look odd to the muggles. I would've told her to get lost, but if I broke the Statue of Secrecy again Mum would let me have it. Almost wanted to for Percy's sake, but I don't want Dad to get another inquiry. _

_Even with all the crazy, things are lousy without Harry. I'm glad we'll be together then. It's hard to be merry without my two best friends. _

_Thinking of you, _

_\- Ron_

Hermione took the Marauder's Map and Harry's wand from her dresser drawer. She sat on the bed, pressed them and Ron's letter to her chest, and cried. That's where she stayed until Tanisha came in to get ready for bed. From the look on her face, Mum and Dad told her about Harry. Tanisha sat next to her on the bed and put a hand on her back. If she saw Harry's wand or the parchment map pressed between her stomach and knees, she didn't stare or say anything.

"I'm sorry about your friend," she whispered.

**_ANNABETH_**

When Annabeth ran into the Hades cabin with Nico and Thalia, she didn't expect a goddess to greet her. She should've guessed that last night was a warning. A half-blood with a bad night's sleep usually meant that a god would come asking for a favor that would almost certainly ruin her day.

When Thalia saw that teenage girl standing in the Hades cabin tending to some flowers, she tensed so much that Annabeth could feel her hatred burning white-hot. "I know you..." she said. Her fists clenched. "Oh." There was too much attitude in her voice; enough to provoke the goddess.

"Hello daughter of Zeus," the teenager said, "I am Persephone."

Annabeth didn't like the way Thalia glared at the goddess. "Thalia," she whispered, "Calm down."

"Calm down?!" Thalia snarled. "She betrayed Olympus! She tried to make Hades more powerful than Zeus! She almost gave Kronos a superweapon that would've helped him take over Olympus!"

"You make it sound like I was working for Kronos," Persephone complained.

"As good as!" Thalia shot back. "You created that sword and lost it! You dragged me, Nico, and Percy to the Underworld! I had to push Sisyphus's boulder up a mountain! We had to cross the Lethe and fight Melinoe and Iapetus! Percy almost died from those Keres! You-"

"Hold on, Thalia," Annabeth interrupted her, partially to shut her up. Insulting gods never went so well. "What sword? That one?" She pointed to the sword hanging from Persephone's sundress. How it stayed up there without a sword belt wasn't clear, but it was probably the same breeze that kept her dress and hair floating around.

"My new symbol of power." There was pride in Persephone's voice. "After Hecate's attack, Lord Hades saw it fit to give me a better weapon than vines."

"But that sword has one of the keys to the Underworld in it!" Thalia protested. "You're the goddess of springtime, not the Underworld!"

"And?" Persephone challenged. "Hera presides over the council. Amphitrite has great power over the sea. Why should I be the only queen without power over my husband's domain? I am the Queen of the Underworld."

"That sword challenges the balance of power! It betrays the ancient laws!"

For a second, everything went black. When the darkness cleared, she felt groggy and drowsy. Had she blacked out? She turned to ask Thalia, and realized what happened. Annabeth wasn't having the best morning, but she didn't think that the sick feeling in her stomach would translate to the goddess of springtime turning her into a chrysanthemum.

"I turned that one back, Nico. Now, will you please talk to me?" Persephone sounded more annoyed than angry. He kept his eyes on the floor and his back to her. If she wasn't blocking his bed, he'd probably have his earbuds in and be blasting music. She didn't know what had transpired between the two of them while she was a flower, but she suspected Nico was pretty angry. All the trouble he'd gone through to keep the gods out of his life, and there his former stepmother was. Whether she came to ask a favor or not, it would definitely rub Nico the wrong way. He was usually uptight whenever anyone referenced his former life as a half-blood. It made sense with all that the immortal world put him through, but if the gods understood that was another question.

"I could turn you into a flower in her place?" Persephone offered, teasing him in a familiar, good-natured way. It was weird hearing a demigod stepmom being friendly to their stepchild. "A real flower, not a weed or ivy. Let me see, what would your flower be..." She pretended to think it over. "A venus flytrap!"

Annabeth didn't see Nico smile, but Persephone must've. Smile or no, she got through Nico's outer defenses, which took skill. "I don't eat bugs," Nico mumbled, just barely audible.

"My mistake."

There was a long silence while Persephone waited for Nico to speak. "Turn Thalia back, too," Nico said.

Persephone's former anger reared its head. "She _dares _speak to me like that; she gets what she deserves. Zeus and his children, they think they're above reproach! Well! All mortals end in the Underworld, and they soon learn otherwise. _That one _insulted me one time too many."

"Hey!" Annabeth cried, despite her better judgment. What could she say? Her pride was hurt and _no one _talked to her friends like that. Besides, what could the goddess of springtime do to her anyway?

Persephone's eyes flashed. "Careful, girl. Your mother will not shield you from my wrath."

"Look, it's clear you want something, so say it already," Annabeth snapped.

Persephone's anger flared even more. "You will treat me with respect!"

"Fine, _Queen _Persephone!" Annabeth shouted, "What do you want?!"

Her hair and dress blew back and forth like the clouds and winds of a hurricane swirled right in front of her. The colors of her dress were that of a storm, spirals of black and grey and navy rotating like a tornado. Annabeth, on impulse, drew her drakon bone sword. A millisecond later, a thorny vine knocked it out of her hand. The vines curled around her arm, then split in two. Half snaked down her legs, wrapping them tighter and tighter. She tried to move her arms or legs, but the vines were too strong, and her weapon was too far away from her on the floor. Her eyes stayed on a smaller vine, creeping up from her stomach and towards her chest. "Nico!" Annabeth yelled. The vine got faster and faster; it was at her shoulder now; she could feel it start to wrap around her neck. "Nico, do something!"

"I saved your life!" Nico shouted at Persephone. "You owe me! Stop it, let my friends go, and tell me why you're here!" The vines got faster now, thicker, tighter. "The Underworld runs on fair judgment! If you want to call it your domain you have to respect its values!"

The vines receded. Annabeth fell to the floor, coughing and gasping for breath. The chrysanthemum next to him was once again Thalia, on her feet but drugged and out of it. Without so much as a word, she stumbled to the nearest empty bunk and collapsed onto the mattress. She wouldn't be much help if Persephone went hurricane season again. Once Annabeth caught her breath, she followed Thalia, sat next to her, and put her hand on her back to let her know she was there. She was beyond angry at that goddess, but, liked she'd said, she wanted Nico alone. After that show of her power, Annabeth thought it was best to sit here and act invisible. It would be stupid to underestimate her again.

Persephone returned to her usual appearance. She smoothed her dress and hair like it had been messed up by some summer breeze. She didn't need to; like all gods, it was perfect already. They were all too vain to ever let themselves look anything other than perfect.

Persephone eyed Thalia sitting on the bed. "This is more than Zeus deserves, but an exchange of favors is, unfortunately, an established practice of Hades." She walked back to her table of flowers, completely calm. Spring can go nuclear in a moment, then hide it the next day with a ray of sunshine.

The flowers were gone from the table, and now two chairs sat on either side of it. Persephone sat in one and motioned for Nico to take the other. He didn't. She sighed. "Humor me, Nico. This would already be over if you all paid me reverence." With a glance to Annabeth-with eyes that read "save me"-he took a deep breath and walked into the fold. It felt like a surrender.

_He doesn't want anything to do with the supernatural. Why won't the gods give him that? _

Nico took his chair. Persephone handed him a plate of fruit and said, "Eat." Nico looked at it warily. She laughed. "It's not Underworld food, I promise. You must be able to sense that."

Nico inspected a blueberry. "I'm fully mortal now. I don't have the skills I used to."

"You have all the same powers that you had as a demigod," Persephone chided. "Don't lie to me. You can see through the Mist. You can shadow travel. You can wield that sword."

"A sword that passes through me," Nico protested, "But I can't feel the spirits of the Underworld anymore, or raise the dead."

"Have you tried?" Persephone asked. "You may not be a son of Hades anymore, but you will always be a child of the Underworld. Lord Hades could take the golden ichor from your DNA, but not the magic of our domain. Doing such would destroy you entirely. It's not enough that monsters can catch your scent, but you will always be somewhere between mortal and immortal. And be careful to only display your abilities in private. Monsters know how to pick out a half-blood, even if you don't smell like one. And, obviously, your mortality makes it easier to be pulled to the Underworld should you go too far."

"How are _you _out of the Underworld?" Nico asked. "It's January."

"Official Underworld business," Persephone said. "I do love that loophole-not that I'm _ever _able to use it. Always someone there to take the message... such a drag. Now eat, Nico."

Nico tried to find some trick in her face or words but seemed not to be able to. Tentatively, he brought the blueberry to his mouth. Persephone smiled. "Thank you. As you can see, no strings, no imprisonment, no poison. All I want is your help. So, eat, and quiet yourself."

For the first time that day, Nico did what he was told. "Good. Now, enough with the preamble. Hecate has officially brought Lord Hades up on charges from your quest last year. She claims that he lured her to his domain to recklessly goad her into action in an attempt to push blame for the Wizard Genocide on her. He wanted to attack her lands and overinflated a mundane issue-your disappearance-to achieve these ends. He stands accused of conspiracy to commit treason against Olympus, and of my murder by tricking or forcing me into helping him achieve those ends. These are all lies, an attempt by Hecate to take his place in Erebos and become a major goddess."

"She waited a year?" Nico asked. "Why?"

"Because, like the Titan she is, she uses a puppet for her own doing. She's taken advantage of my mother's... above average protectiveness over me. She appeals to Ceres, the militant Roman of scorched earth tactics, rather than the peaceful, farming Demeter of the Greeks. Hecate stands as chief witness to my murder, but it is Ceres who accuses my husband. Everyone on the Olympic Council knows what this is, but none have the bravery nor will to call her out on this scheme. Hades swore before the council that I was too weak to leave the Underworld last spring-I'm sure you noticed how frigid it was-and Ceres wanted to make sure I was well before she-how did she put it?-put me 'under the stress of reliving that horrible incident of abuse from that insult of a husband' and 'going against my nature by revealing his horrible ways.' In other words, she expected a traumatized flower to run into her arms with tears in her eyes, begging for a divorce, but I am too lady-like to do it myself. She successfully wore down Zeus and got me released from the Underworld in August, where I spent six weeks in the sun before descending again in October. Hecate had two months to whisper in Ceres' ear, and she's proven as successful as my mother was to Zeus.

"Ever the snake, Hecate convinced Ceres to officially accuse Lord Hades this morning, December 20th, with the excuse that it's the anniversary of his declaration of war. We have only twenty-four hours to prepare for the trial. Impossible in the best of circumstances, but these are far from the best of circumstances. The trial is a sham. The Council has been stacked against my husband since the moment Zeus and Poseidon divided the world. Ceres will win the trial with so little time to prepare. Hecate will win everything."

Persephone's eyes flashed with a deeper and more bitter anger than they had at Annabeth's insults. "I will not let that happen. Hecate cannot take everything from me, from _us_."

"You want me to convince Hecate to stand down?" Nico questioned her. "I'm sorry Queen Persephone, I lost her trust when she heard my plan outside your coffin. Maybe I could get Al or Lou Ellen to talk to her-"

"No, Nico," Persephone cut him off, "Hecate is a lost cause. No, I want to hit her where she's weakest, to beat her at her own game. I want you to travel to New Arcadia-Ceres' Palace-and convince her to delay the trial. Let it happen. I dare her. If Hecate wants to play, she shall. But this is a gamble she cannot win. If there's one thing the Underworld knows, it's trials. We will prevail as long as we have time to prepare."

Persephone smiled at Nico's now empty bowl of fruit. She snapped her fingers, and her invisible handmaidens took it off the table and replaced it with a map. Persephone handed it to Nico. "New Arcadia sits in southern Montana, just north of Yellowstone National Park. The trial starts at sunset tomorrow."

Nico stared at the map, conflicted. Annabeth understood of the situation. He may not care about Hades anymore, but, like all children of the Underworld, Nico had an instinct to fairness. Not morality, but justice. No matter what the situation was, even if Hades _did _contribute a lot to escalating the situation, that wasn't important. He wasn't on trial for what he stood accused of, and that was all that mattered to Nico. But, if he said yes, even if it was a small quest, he was back in the arms of Olympus.

"There's one problem," Nico told the goddess. "My powers are a lot weaker than they used to be. Maybe I just got used to Teddy's blessing-or Alabaster's, whoever-but I don't think so. It's harder and more tiring than it ever used to be. I went to _la Valle d'Aosta _last night and barely managed the return trip. I don't think I have it in me to shadow-travel again without being dragged to the Underworld."

Persephone thought for a moment. Then, her eyes landed on Thalia. "The rest of the Hunters of Artemis arrive tonight to attend your little meeting tomorrow. Tell Chiron I order him to have the meeting as soon as the Hunters arrive. After the meeting ends, they all travel back to Nunavut. With a blessing from Artemis-I'll supply, she has no love for Hecate-they will be able to cover the distance before the trial begins."

"Travel with..." Nico was trembling. There was a long, uncomfortable silence. Even Annabeth could see the war raging in Nico's mind, grief and longing swirling around, his wants and needs conflicting with his basic instincts. It was all Annabeth could do not to lose it again. Persephone had no right to ask him to do anything for the gods anymore.

"I'll... I'll do it," Nico forced out. Persephone smiled and nodded, then disappeared with a warm spring breeze. Annabeth helped Thalia up. She didn't need to see Nico's face to know what he was thinking.

**_NICO_**

_Will I follow you to the grave, Bianca?_

**END NOTES**

His thoughts are supposed to be in 1930's Italian, which is why they look weird. I didn't put it in Italian because they're his thoughts, and as someone who speaks a second language, you don't really notice what language you're thinking in after a certain point. At least that's how it is for me.

Also, see? It's explained why he can still do a handful of demigod things. It's not a plot hole. HA! XD

This week's beta commentary:  
STORY: I took a shortcut down the mountain," Hermione corrected him.  
SARA: Mountain has shortcuts? Surprising. What's not surprising is that Geico could save you 15% or more on car insurance.  
LISSY: **Hermione turns to the camera**  
LISSY: Yeah I ski and sometimes they have alternate routes.  
LISSY: Do you know what else has an alternate route?  
LISSY: Roads. Car insurance.  
LISSY: #spon

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (YouTube /watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ)  
Sara - Beta Reader (Tumblr icomparemyselftoyou)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you next time!

**COMMENTS**

**Bella the Demigod Wizard**

_persephone what the f*** are you doing in the hades cabin_

Lol I laughed so hard at this. And now you know what she was doing. :)

**Matt**

_Just started reading and love it._

I'm glad!

_Forgot if Harry is alive or not._

He is not.

**Meilaan**

_So does nico still have his powers? But he's mortal, isn't he? So is it like he's mortal but he has the demigod powers? Wat_

Now you know!

**ShadeFireDragon**

_Don't worry, I've seen my fair share of CoF! *puffs chest proudly* And yay! Calypso's back! Care for a cookie? *gives you your favorite cookie virtually*_

Oh, okay, good. I will warn you Calypso doesn't have a huge role in this story, but you will see more of her! So yay! And thank you for the cookie, very yummy.

**The Goode Ravenclaw**

_I don't think there is a such thing as a fourth degree burn- it only goes from 1-3 degree I believe. Also, wouldn't Annabeth realise that Nico was talking to Hestia since she talked with her on Olympus during the Battle of Manhattan? But other than that, I love this chapter! A little Leo is better than no Leo at all, so I'll take it. I'm happy you're not breaking up Solangelo, because the way that you phrased it in the last book it made it sound like nicobastor would be romantic, not platonic. I love the chapter!_

I am aware of the fourth-degree burn thing-I thought that maybe magical burns were so intense they had a fourth level? Idk just my thought process. Annabeth never talked to Hestia, only Percy. Annabeth saw Hestia, yeah, but it was also years ago and there was a lot of other stuff going on. It's a bit of a plot hole (or at least a weak reason) but for reasons you'll see I needed to emphasise Nico's relationship with Hestia. The needs of the plot outweigh the needs of the canon, I guess.


	5. Starring: the Perrico Bromance

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

Chiron hosts the Winter Solstice meeting early. Cho has a disturbing dream.

**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: General Audiences  
Content Warning: None  
Word Count: 3774

What are you talking about, it's totally Monday! Okay, sorry guys, but I'm getting ready for C2E2 and I've been packing and getting my Bianca cosplay ready and... also work is a thing...

I promise I'll start posting normal days again!

Also, I started a new fic, Shoot an Arrow Through His Heart. Starring Bianca, it's a mortal, high school AU. Go to the link below to read the summary and first chapter, etc. I normally don't post two fics at once, but I'm posting Shoot an Arrow Through His Heart on AO3 and I wanted to sync you guys up with them. Once this fic (Ghosts of Millennia) ends I doubt I'll ever be updating two stories in tandem ever again. (Also I'm skipping posting on that story this week just so I can make sure it's 100% written)

story/181724572-shoot-an-arrow-through-his-heart

And all the characters are owned by J.K. Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_PERCY_**

When Percy and his friends got to the Hermes auction, Annabeth, Thalia, and Nico had disappeared. Percy wanted to go look for them, but Jason vetoed the idea. "Annabeth and Thalia probably want to catch up, and you know Nico needs his alone time. We'll see them later."

"Shh!" Piper said. "I want to get those arrows for Thalia!"

After a few hours (Piper gave Connor Stoll way too much money for the probably-stolen arrows) Percy went to search for Annabeth but came up empty. He still couldn't believe they were engaged. He remembered those times when Annabeth talked about their future; how her eyes would light up and her smile would betray her. She didn't pressure him into marriage, in fact, she never brought it up. But the way she talked hinted that she dreamed about them spending the rest of their lives together. He never made a comment; she would deny it and feel embarrassed and ashamed that she expected such a big commitment from him. That was the amazing thing: she didn't expect it. She wanted it. And Percy felt flattered.

After they finished their quest last year, they enrolled in New Rome University and moved in together. It was nice to get to see her every day, to get help or encouragement when his workload made him want to give up, to get easy alone time, to do mortal things like watch TV together, and to have someone to hold as he fell asleep. Yes, they argued and got on each other's nerves, but that was the norm throughout their entire relationship and friendship before that.

There were small moments: when they fell asleep on the beanbag chair together after a late-night movie session, the time Annabeth brought him dinner on the quad when he was elbow-deep in midterms, the post-it-notes she put on the fridge to remind about the plans he made with Hazel-or that Reyna wanted to meet with him-because he would forget otherwise. After a few weeks they fell into a rhythm Percy could no longer live without. Soon, a thought lingered in Percy's mind, and he couldn't chase it away.

Marriage. A family of his own. To have Annabeth at his side for years, decades even. He wasn't sure about it and didn't want to get her hopes up, so he used their roommate situation to ask her hypothetical questions about their future that may or may not be relevant to the subject of marriage. Every day he got more and more sure that he wanted this. When they parted for Thanksgiving, Percy sat down with his parents and Nico and brought up the idea. Nico was psyched. His parents, however, had a long conversation with him about what that kind of commitment meant. In the end, they gave him his blessing.

When they went back to San Francisco, Percy made a secret visit to the Chases. He knew the whole "asking the bride's parents for her hand" thing was cliché and old-fashioned, but he wanted to. He figured after all his parents' insight, hers would know more Annabeth-specific concerns and advice-Mr. and Mrs. Chase were thrilled. Then came planning with Piper as his expert guide, and, finally, the question. Percy knew they'd talk about it more in the time between today and their actual wedding, but he didn't care. Annabeth said yes. Even if they chose to wait ten years, they'd spend the rest of their lives together.

He finally found Annabeth at lunch, with Nico and Thalia. Something was wrong. They sat alone in the corner of the dining pavilion with dark expressions and too many harsh whispers. Percy, concerned, tried to snake his hand into Annabeth's, but that only made them change the topic. At first, Percy and his friends tried to get the story out of them, but within minutes it was clear that would be impossible. Annabeth left to talk to Chiron the moment he trotted in, Thalia left halfway through lunch to greet the arriving Hunters, and Nico refused to say a word. After lunch, Percy followed him back to the Hades cabin, hoping for a private confession, but got the door slammed in his face with a shadow shield gluing it closed.

**_NICO_**

After Percy left, Nico went to his favorite spot. It was a huge oak tree a little ways away from the campfire. When he climbed it, an old twisted branch served as a seat, and the oak's leaves became a one-way mirror. No one could see him, but he could see the world. There was a clear view of the Sound, and of the woods between the two. In the nighttime, the woods looked like Hogwarts's Forbidden Forest: dark, brooding, terrifying, and hiding monsters. He could sit under everyone's nose and people watch or get much-needed alone time when he should be at the campfire. It was the only time he ever felt powerful and in control. It was the only time he ever felt like a demigod. When he was a demigod.

"I wondered when I would find you up here," came a warm female voice. Nico jumped; no one ever discovered his hiding place. "Don't worry, I won't tell." He turned. Hestia. Not the follower of Hecate, the goddess.

"How do you know about this place?" Nico asked.

"I'm a goddess, I have my ways." She gave a warm smile. "I waited for you at the hearth, but you never came. Tell me what's troubling you."

"Shouldn't you be on Olympus, getting ready for the Solstice?"

"On Olympus, yes. Getting ready for the Solstice, no. I gave up my spot when I stepped down for Dionysus."

"Right. I tried stepping down-didn't work. Maybe I should just bail too."

"Well, you look like you need a friend."

Nico sighed. "I don't want to do this. I don't want any of it. I told Hades straight out: I don't want to be a pawn of the gods anymore. But there's Persephone. And here I am."

"Yes, here you are." Hestia touched his arm in a motherly sort of way. Nico couldn't help but smile. That's why he loved talking to her. Hera may be the goddess of marriage and childbirth, but Hestia was the real goddess of family. Home is where the heart is and all the usual sayings boring people hang on their walls. Home was hard to come by. Nico knew that first hand.

"Do you want my advice?" Hestia asked. Nico nodded. "Do you remember what you told Percy Jackson about your quest, the first time you wore the Artifacts?"

Nico thought for a moment. "I told him about my plan to save Persephone."

"You told me yourself what you said when you came back from England. 'I understand why the Fates took so much from me.' And...?"

" 'I know how bad it hurts when you're on the other side of death, and I will never let anyone go through what I have.' " Nico finished for her. "I don't get where you're going with this."

"It's the Fates, Nico. Your life led to that moment, and now you're rediscovering what you lost so many decades ago. You are destined to make this trip."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better? Everything happens for a reason, trust in fate? I'll pass."

The goddess shook her head. "You can't change your fate. Don't try to. The Fates want you here, so walk this path with pride. You were not able to shed most of your godly abilities-" she gestured to Nico's sword as proof, "-like you can't shed your family."

"The Jacksons are my family now," Nico told her.

"Disowned or dead, family calls to us all," Hestia said. "Sometimes ignoring that call is the best thing for us to do-that's not my place. But the home shapes you either way. Try to run from its influence, and you will accomplish nothing but pain."

"Now you sound like Dr. Solberg. 'Avoidance tactics never work, Nico.' "

Hestia said nothing. She nodded and smiled and vanished with a warm breeze that tickled his cheek. Though he wasn't happy about it, Nico climbed down, back to Earth, resigned to the meeting. He knew deep down that Hestia was right. He'd get the situation over and done with, then go back to his normal life. It was the only way to keep himself from going back to who he was before.

**_CHO_**

It was the first day of Christmas break. Cho put her bag down, watching as her parents fussed over her two-year-old sister, and, for the first time in months, smiled. Her smile was hollow, but it was a smile nonetheless.

"Mama! Papa!" she called.

"Cho!" Mama waved as Sora tried to grab her nose. The toddler hit her in the face; she jerked her head away with squinted eyes and a "bleh!" Cho laughed as tears poured down her cheeks. She walked into her father's embrace and sobbed. She felt so guilty. Why did she feel guilty? Cedric and Harry wanted her to be happy, why must she always feel guilty? Nothing but guilt. Nothing but gray.

"Choo-choo!" Sora shouted, tiny fists in the air. Cho wiped her tears away with her sleeve, then took Sora into her arms. She'd bought her sister a tiny steam engine figurine as a toy at Hogsmeade a year ago, and Sora had been obsessed with the things ever since. She started calling Cho 'choo-choo' and made her be the conductor when she wanted to play trains.

When Cho's tears didn't stop, Mama took Sora back, and Papa said, "Take a rest, _koibito_." He carried his crying mess of a daughter back to her room, tucked her in, kissed her on the forehead, and held her hand as she tried to drift off. Finally, the warm hand holding hers and young child's laughs dulled thoughts of Cedric and Harry enough to release her.

She had the most peculiar dream. She was in a well-furnished study; magical decorations and an assortment of quills and inkwells confirmed that the room belonged to a wizard. It was wooden and spacious, and there were numerous awards from various fields hung on the walls, including the Stylish Wizard of the Year Award. A thick, silver unicorn-hair rug covered the floor. The desk was ornately carved with swirling lines and curved legs, and covered in parchment forms, various newspapers and magazines, and thick books of magical law.

The door opened. The Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, entered with none other than Dolores Umbridge.

"I'm sorry to bother you in your home, Minister, but I wanted to keep this as private as possible."

"Yes, yes." Fudge motioned for her to continue. "I'm a busy man, Dolores, so get on with it."

Umbridge glanced behind them, making sure there were no prying eyes. "We have a mole in the Ministry. Some low-level worker found some disturbing rumors in Wizarding Weekly. He was unaware of its legitimacy, Minister, I have no doubt."

She handed Fudge a newspaper. His eyes widened. "Return to your position at Hogwarts immediately. I'll launch a private investigation. News of Lord Voldemort cannot get out."

"If you would like my advice, Dumbledore is stubborn, disloyal, and senile, but a well-respected wizard. If we reinforce my Wizards For the Workforce bill and use Statute Twenty-Three to replace that werewolf, there will be more questions, not less. With Potter gone, there is no reason to worry about nasty rumors at the school. I will tell the Daily Prophet to discredit Wizarding Weekly, as well as release some... news about Dumbledore. I assure you, Minister, Rockwood took care of Hogwarts, and the Department Heads have everything under control. Focus on our mole. Find them, and we have no reason to worry."

Cho woke with a start. Papa was gone, laughing with Mama and Sora.

_Calm down. It's just a dream... isn't it? _

**_PERCY_**

Percy was surprised to hear the conch shell so soon after lunch. It was only three o'clock, too early for dinner, which meant something was seriously wrong. He bolted out of the cabin in his pajamas. He didn't want to waste a second changing in case of a monster attack.

He saw every camper, nymph, and satyr within the camp's borders running past his cabin door. He looked around for his friends, but couldn't find them in the crowd. So, he joined the river of bodies flowing to the Big House. When he arrived, he saw Thalia standing on the porch with Chiron and all thirty-something Hunters of Artemis.

"All head counselors to the Rec Room!" Chiron announced. "The rest of you, back to your activities! The Hunters of Artemis will take Cabin Eight for the duration of their stay!"

With worried whispers, the crowd dispersed. Thalia remained with two other Hunters. Odd, since there was usually only one representative per group. If Chiron noticed, he didn't say anything. Percy finally saw his friends once the crowd of people was gone, minus Annabeth and Nico, that is.

_Is that what they were whispering about at lunch? Do they know what's going on? _

No one said a word as they walked into the Rec Room. Unlike every other meeting since the Second Giant War, no Diet Coke cans were warping the ping-pong table, nor chatter that Chiron needed to silence, nor fighting over who sat where and who would have to squish around who. The air was far too serious for that.

Nico and Annabeth were already in the room, sitting at the foot of the table, across from Rachel Dare and Chiron. Percy squeezed between Jason and Piper without a word. He watched as each counselor filed in, naming them in his head to distract from the anxious thoughts running through his mind:

_Miranda for Demeter, Travis for Hermes, Sherman for Ares, Pollux for Dionysus, Clovis for Morpheus, Will, Lou Ellen... _

Butch Walker for the Iris cabin was the last one to take his seat. Because of the Roman representatives, Alabaster, and the Hunters, everyone was cramped and claustrophobic. Percy didn't remember any meeting with this many people: Alabaster was new, Clovis usually slept through the conch shell, Thalia was usually the only Hunter there, etcetera. It didn't help that the tension in the air made everything sweaty, hot, and thick.

Alabaster's presence made everything worse, but they needed a representative for the Wizarding World, and no other follower of Hecate was available. Ron and Hermione were in England, and Blaise and Hestia refused to step foot in Camp Half-Blood, too traumatized from the Wizard Genocide. Nico had to push Chiron for weeks to finally clear Alabaster for the meeting, and, even then, he was forbidden from ever entering again once they found a better and willing candidate to represent Hecate's followers.

"You all are wondering why I didn't call this meeting tomorrow as planned," Chiron began. "We are all here on the orders of Persephone, or Proserpine for the Romans among us. She paid our campers-" he gestured to Nico, Annabeth, and Thalia "-a visit this morning and instructed us to have our annual Winter Solstice meeting the moment the Hunters arrived." He cleared his throat. "Nico, you have the floor."

Nico wasn't paying any attention. He kept his gaze fixed on his lap and played with the hem of his shirt. There were beads of sweat on his eyebrow, but he didn't take off his aviator jacket. After a minute of silence, Annabeth muttered something in Nico's ear. He didn't move an inch. Percy tried to stand, but he couldn't with all the people surrounding him. So, he elected for a, "Is everything ok, Nico?"

Then, Nico did something he never had before. He reached over the table, as far as his arm would go. Percy took his hand. Yeah, they were brothers now, but even the tiniest public display of affection was unheard of when it came to Nico.

Nico swallowed hard. "Persephone appeared in my cabin after breakfast. She told me... um, she told me that I..." Nico took a deep breath. It looked like he was about to cry. Percy felt like he'd walked in on him in the shower. This _never _happened. "She, uh, she told me that, um, Hecate-no, Demeter, actually, Ceres, Demeter's Roman half-but Hecate wanted her to-she... she brought Hades up on, um, on... charges for the Wizard Genocide last... last year."

The room erupted into chaos. Memories of the Wizard Genocide consumed them. Even Clovis stopped snoozing in his chair long enough to freak out. Percy's heart raced and his palms grew sweaty. He felt a lump in his throat but forced it down. This wasn't the same as before, no, it was a trial, there would be no war... unless someone lost... which is the point of a trial...

_Stop it, Percy! Get ahold of yourself! _

"Heroes!" Chiron yelled over the chaos. He had to buck and slam his hooves on the ground for anyone to stop talking. "I know the Wizard Genocide left us all afraid and unsure. But this is not the Wizard Genocide. This is a trial between Ceres, Hecate, Hades, and Persephone."

"Someone's going to lose, and then they'll start a war!" Butch Walker protested.

"I remember the monster attacks on New Year's Eve!" Travis Stoll cried. "They'll tear us apart if this happens again!"

The room erupted. Percy heard someone mutter a condescending "_ Boys, _" beside him. He glared at the two not-Thalia Hunters.

"HEROES!" Chiron yelled, louder than Percy had ever heard him yell before. "We must not lose our senses! This camp will dissolve into chaos if, and only if, we give in to fear!"

One of the Hunter girls turned to Thalia. "What did Persephone want with you?" she asked.

"Nothing, Ianthe," Thalia spat. "Annabeth and I walked in by mistake. She turned me into a flower because apparently she can't get over Dad's absent father charade five-thousand years ago."

That was enough for the tense room to burst into laughter, minus the Hunters and Nico, Annabeth, and Thalia. Ianthe and the other Hunter looked scandalized. "Why would a kidnapped maiden harm a Hunter?!"

"_ Don't _say that," Percy warned. "Hecate said the same, and that started the Wizard Genocide in the first place. She _really _doesn't like the helpless damsel in distress angle."

"How would you know?" the other girl spat.

"Because I watched it happen." Percy shot back. He really hated the Hunters sometimes.

Rachel turned to Nico. "What was your quest? A god wouldn't appear before you if they didn't want something."

"Ceres only announced the trial this morning," Annabeth explained, sparing Nico more time in the spotlight. "She wants Nico to travel to New Arcadia-it's near Yellowstone National Park-and plead with her to extend the deadline. That way, Hades can prepare a defense."

"Ceres and Hecate are cowards," Frank said. "That's not an honorable strategy."

"It gets the job done, though," Alabaster said. Everyone stared at him, most with hate and disgust in their eyes. "What?! I'm not saying I agree with it, just that it's effective. Mom's clever and knows what she's doing. If Ceres is on her side, I don't think she'll extend the deadline so easily."

"Come with me, then," Nico begged.

_Add "begging" to the list of things Nico's never done in public before. _

"Please, Al. You're Hecate's favorite son. If you disagree with what she's doing, help me."

Alabaster looked conflicted. "Go, Alabaster," Lou Ellen said. "I'm with you on this one. Mom's too clever for her own good. Frank's right. This kind of underhanded trick will ruin her reputation with the Council, conviction or not. She's too angry at Hades to think straight. She needs us to be her voice of reason."

Most of the room started protesting this appointment, but Chiron silenced them. He had a grave face on, but he knew Alabaster had to go. Ceres wouldn't listen to any child of Hades, even if Nico had disowned his father.

"Fine," Alabaster said after a little more deliberation. "How are we getting there? Shadow travel? Those terrifying death machines? Or I can apparate us."

"No apparition," Nico said. "I betrayed Hecate the moment I stepped towards Persephone's coffin. I travel by magical means, and I won't come out alive. I can't do airplanes either; Zeus likes me about as much as he likes Percy. And, I'm too weak to shadow travel after my, um, trip to Italy yesterday. Per- Persephone... uh, wants me... to, um..." For a second time, Nico looked close to a breakdown. He glanced at Percy, tears swimming in his eyes. Percy's blood began to boil. No one messed with his little brother and got away with it.

Annabeth took the reins once again. "Nico's going to travel with the Hunters when they go back to Canada. Persephone said the palace was on their way. Artemis will bless the trip so it's possible to get there before sundown tomorrow."

The Hunters erupted. "How dare anyone but Lady Artemis command our path!" not-Ianthe said. "We shall not tolerate this slight!"

"I know, Roszí, but Persephone already went to Lady Artemis," Thalia told her. "I got the message from our Lady after I picked you guys up. She blessed our journey and commanded us to do what Persephone asked. We won't lose any ground, and we'll be done in a day."

There was the answer. What was upsetting Nico so much that he'd act this out of character? Not only were one of the (many) worst months of his life coming back to haunt him, but his most grievous loss was haunting him too. Bianca died when she went on a quest with the Hunters, and now he was being thrown into the same situation by a stepmom he'd rather forget.

Rachel tried to make eye contact with Nico-he didn't take his eyes off his lap, but Rachel spoke anyway. "Ask me for your prophecy, Nico."

"Hey!" Percy cried, "I'm not letting Nico do this alone!"

"No," Nico said. "Me, Al, and Thalia make three. I'm... I'm not taking a fourth hero."

_Or a fifth. _

"And no prophecy," he continued, his voice growing stronger. "This isn't a quest; it's my ex-father and ex-stepmother asking me to be their errand boy again. No one's leading anyone."

Rachel pursed her lips. She looked like she wanted to argue.

"You leave immediately," Chiron told Nico. He refused to even look at Alabaster. "Thalia, collect your Hunters." He debated whether to continue, then braced himself for his final words. "Every minute you lose brings us closer to war."

**END NOTES**

Next week, the quest begins! Or the not-quest, I guess.

Sorry no commentary 'cause Sara's out this week :(

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)  
Sara - Beta Reader (Tumblr icomparemyselftoyou)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you next time!

**COMMENTS**

**FestusGirl**

_why does it [CH 3] say 'Son of Jupiter'? Annabeth and Thalia followed Nico right, not Thalia and Jason. Anyway, great chapter. Sorry for tuning out again, but I was really busy with school and stuff so yeah... I'm back! And yet again, a great chapter_

Yay you're back! Aaaaand... that was a typo. A million years ago, it was Jason, not Annabeth, who was with Nico, and I guess that little bit got left in the chapter. Thanks for letting me know, I've since fixed it.

**The Goode Ravenclaw**

_I sorta have mixed feelings about Persephone. I mean, she's a badass and all that, but she's a bitch. I really like the chapter, and I can't wait for the next one!_

Totally get what you mean. I think her quest makes perfect sense, but the way she went about it was super unfair. But that's gods for you...


	6. Montana Geography Is Hard

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

Cho debates what to do about her dream. Persephone's quest begins.  


**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: General Audiences  
Content Warning: Cursing, Rape/Sexual Harassment (mentioned only), Mild Racism  
Word Count: 3979

Roszí is pronounced ROW-shee.

This chapter forward, I use a lot of mythology (Greek, Roman, and Wizarding) and historical stuff (not in the boring kind) so, when applicable, I'll have sources in the end notes.

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

**_CHO_**

Cho didn't want to look at Wizarding Weekly. She knew Papa had it downstairs, but she had a sneaking suspicion that her dream was more than a dream. The implications of that were such that she didn't want to press further, she didn't want to know. This didn't concern her... but... didn't it? What if the article was about You-Know-Who? Cedric died at his hand, so shouldn't she get all the information possible? And Harry, his _life _was You-Know-Who. Didn't she owe it to her loved ones to get the story?

_That's right Cho, work yourself up some more. _

She needed a distraction. She glanced at the clock: it was only half-past eight. Perfect.

She got out of bed and walked down the hall, where Mama was reading Sora to sleep. She leaned against the doorframe, watching the two of them with a smile on her face. Sora looked so peaceful, her mother looked so domestic. Stability, that's what Cho needed, and the only place she got it was here. Not for the first time, she wished she could just drop out of Hogwarts and stay home forever. The only love she had left was within these walls, and she spent most of the year away from it. Letters could only do so much, and she couldn't use her cell phone at Hogwarts (Mama was a muggle so she needed one to contact extended family).

"Choo-choo!" Sora cried.

Mama sighed in teasing disappointment. "An hour of reading, wasted."

Cho laughed. Unfortunately, it was true. Sora was a hyperactive little girl and now she was too excited to lay down in her bed. "Sorry, Mama," Cho apologized. "Why don't I calm her down?"

"That would be lovely. Make sure she's asleep-"

"By nine, I know. C'mon Sora, why don't we take out Percy?"

Sora clapped in delight. Cho lifted her little sister off the bed and squatted on the floor. She took out a miniature Thomas the Tank Engine set, courtesy of her grandparents. "How do you want the tracks today?"

"Straight! Straight! And the bridge!"

Cho put the tracks in a straight line, and put the green train-Percy-on top. "Here we go, Sora! Choo! Choo!" As she made the train noises, she flipped Percy from off to on, and the little figure chugged down the track and into Sora's waiting arms. She squealed with delight as it tried, and failed, to ride up her fingers. The still-running wheels tickled Sora's hand, making her giggle. It was all well and good until her finger got caught in one of the wheels. Sora jerked her hand away and burst into red-faced tears.

Cho pulled Percy off the floor and shut him off. "It's okay," she cooed to her sister. "Where does it hurt?" Sora pointed to her finger with a whimper. "All right, here," Cho said, pulling a Band-Aid from a box on the dresser. She wrapped it around Sora's finger and kissed the top for good measure.

"All better?"

"All better."

The ordeal tired Sora out considerably. Cho lifted her into her bed and tucked her in with another kiss on the forehead. "Goodnight, Sora," she whispered, and flicked the light off.

Cho's phone buzzed as soon as she lied back down on her own bed. Marietta's name lit the screen. She hesitated to answer the phone. They hadn't spoken in weeks.

_Get over yourself. Maybe she wants to apologize. _

She didn't forgive her... not completely, anyway. She knew why her friend did what she did-Marietta was her best friend, not her babysitter, and had every right to leave if Cho was making her miserable-but that didn't mean Cho had to like it. Marietta had hurt her when she was already vulnerable enough.

She answered the call. "What do you want." It came out cold-a statement, not a question.

"Please Cho, I'm sorry. I want to be friends again. I'm sorry I left you, but you need to understand, I couldn't take the crying anymore. But, Cho, I swear I'm sorry about Cedric and Harry. No, that's no excuse. You're my best friend. I should be there for you, I shouldn't make you feel worse. I'm sorry I said you needed to grow up, I never blamed you, I just needed you to help yourself." A short pause. "I'm sorry, that came out wrong. I'm terrible at this."

"It's okay. You are a brat sometimes."

"It's o... so you forgive me, then?"

"Yeah, I guess I do. I get it. I'm still pissed, but I want my best friend back."

"I know, me too. I don't deserve this. I can make it up to you. Do you still want to work in the Ministry? The Department of International Magical Cooperation wants an intern, my Mum's in charge, and she said it's yours if you want it. We'd work together all summer, maybe get jobs too when we graduate!"

This was her chance to uncover the truth about her dream.

_It was just a dream! _

"We could even go and visit, Marietta continued, "but not until after Christmas. Some idiots saw that Wizarding Weekly article and now they're staging some protest, day after tomorrow. I don't want to cross a picket line, you know how those things are in the muggle world."

Cho's heart sank. What was in that article? All she had to do was go downstairs, take the newspaper out of the rack, and read it. Why must her legs always feel like lead? It shouldn't be so constantly hard to pull the sheets away and step onto the floor!

"Sure, Marietta. Sounds amazing. I'll call you tomorrow, I'm going to get some rest. Goodnight."

**_THALIA_**

Thalia left the Winter Solstice camp meeting without a word. Roszí and Ianthe, her right and left hands, followed close behind. She was back to her usual self after the whole chrysanthemum incident, but she was still pissed about it. The last thing a Hunter of Artemis wants is dulled senses, and she felt like she'd been hit over the head with Zeus's lightning bolt. That stupid goddess had forced her to do her dirty work for the second time, and a happy camper Thalia was not.

_No wonder Nico hates the demigod world. If Persephone forces me into one more quest, I swear I'll electrocute her until she looks like a cartoon character post-dynamite. _

Though she'd never admit it, Thalia was as angry at Lady Artemis as with Persephone. Well, not _as _mad, but pretty close. Her blessing was as good as a seal of approval, despite being sent away on a different god's word to do another god's bidding. The Hunters weren't pawns in divine plans, they were guardians of the immortal world, the first line of defense to ensure monsters didn't leave chaos in their wake. They weren't a taxi service. Her Lady should know that.

She knew her sisters would be more angry about having to travel with Nico than she was. She didn't particularly _like _the kid all that much, but she didn't hate him either. Now that she spent so much time in the company of women, many quintessential boy behaviors irked her, but she didn't distrust or hate them on basic principle like many of her sisters did. Of course, Thalia didn't have their histories.

Roszí was a child servant of the Holy Roman Empire's royal family until Emperor Leopold I thought he could, um, have her because she was Romani. Many men in the court abused her. One day, on one of her many attempts to run away, she stumbled on the Hunters during target practice. After some begging, Lady Artemis took pity on her. At fourteen, she was one of the oldest hunters but proved to be a master of disguise, stealth, and tracking. When Phoebe died, she became Thalia's right-hand woman and didn't disappoint.

Ianthe was newer; she joined a few months before the Battle of Manhattan. She was the child of Apollo and had the medical skills to prove it. Her mom died on a quest when she was a baby, and she ended up in the foster care system. She was bullied and mocked relentlessly for being an orphan, and her teachers did nothing to stop it. Five high school boys in particular made her life a living hell all throughout elementary school. One day, when she was only nine years old, a Cerastes (abnormally flexible serpents with horns on their heads) attacked during recess. Ianthe was the only one able to see through the Mist and saved her school by throwing rocks at the monster until the Hunters arrived. After such a ridiculous act of bravery, Lady Artemis offered her the chance to join on the spot. She proved herself during the Battle of Manhattan as one of the best healers Thalia had ever seen.

A lot of the Hunters had pasts like those. It took a lot for most girls to give up their homes and families for all eternity and forswear boys. Now they'd have Nico di Angelo and Alabaster C. Torrington following along for an entire day. She didn't know what to say to her sisters when the three of them got back to Cabin Eight.

They arrived outside the cabin door. Thalia turned to Roszí and Ianthe. "Let me do the talking, okay? We're all frustrated with the situation, and I don't want to make things harder than they have to be."

"Like you're the one with the coolest head," Ianthe said.

"No, I'm the First Lieutenant, which means I know what to do."

Both of her sisters were too distracted to argue much. They were all worn down from such a long journey to New York, and Thalia knew coming to terms with male companions sapped most of their energy.

"Okay, girls, listen up!" Thalia yelled once they walked into the cabin. All her sisters stopped what they were doing and stood at attention. "We just got back from the solstice meeting, and Lady Artemis contacted me earlier. We have a new job to do on our way back to the Arctic!" A few of the younger girls cheered for a new adventure. "We're traveling to Yellowstone-a bit north of Yellowstone, actually-to meet with Ceres, Roman goddess of agriculture. Persephone, the Greek goddess of springtime and queen of the Underworld, needs a message delivered to her mother right away. We'll be escorting..." she paused for a second, waiting for the right words to come to her. They didn't. "Two campers, Nico di Angelo and Ala-"

Already, the entire cabin was in an uproar.

"A boy?! No way!"

"Boys shall slow our journey!"

"Lady Artemis will be furious another goddess commanded us!"

"Quiet!" Thalia yelled. "Lady Artemis has already blessed our journey with speed. We _will _escort two boys-Nico di Angelo and Alabaster C. Torrington-to Ceres' palace, and then we'll be free to continue our Hunt-Lady Artemis promised twenty-four hours at the most, so it's only a slight detour. We leave as soon as our companions are ready, so break camp!"

The girls dragged their feet when they gathered their things. This was not going to be an easy trip.

**_PERCY_**

As soon as the meeting ended, Percy ran back to his cabin to Iris Message his mom and Paul and told them everything.

"Can you put Nico on?" Mom asked for the millionth time.

"He'll I.M. when he's ready," Paul said, but there was worry in his voice too.

"He can't take ambrosia or nectar anymore. There's no reason to send him on a quest where he might get hurt."

Mom got used to Percy putting himself in danger. He knew that she worried like crazy, but there was something about sending a mortal boy on a demigod task that didn't sit right with any of them. It took everything Percy had not to run to Chiron and demand he go in Nico's place. He would've done it the moment they announced the quest if Annabeth hadn't stopped him.

"Could you go with him, Percy?" Paul asked.

"I tried," Percy said. "Nico didn't want anyone but Alabaster to. He doesn't want the Hunters, either, but they were kinda forced on him."

"Of course he doesn't want to travel with the Hunters," Mom said. The elephant in the room hung in the air. Percy didn't want to think about Bianca.

"I'll catch him before he leaves," Percy told his parents. "I'll drop by in a few days, once Nico gets back." Mom closed her eyes like she was trying to keep herself from crying. Percy hated seeing her like this, going crazy with worry. He knew she was like this over him many times, but he'd never seen it before, and the sight hit him in the gut. "I love you," Percy said. His mom and Paul replied with a "you too," and Percy waved out the image.

Now, it was off to the Hades cabin. Percy worried Nico had already left. He had a habit of that, leaving without saying goodbye if he knew one someone wouldn't like it. For a while, no one knew when (or that) Alabaster was showing up. It took a hellhound attack right outside their apartment for anyone to realize that his visits were a regular thing. It was Alabaster's idea to ask if hellhounds still listened to Nico. It was Nico's idea to try to summon one. It was Percy's idea to get Mrs. O'Leary to run it down before it destroyed the entire block. It was Mom's idea to ground Nico for a month.

Percy should know not to walk into a one-camper cabin without knocking from Jason and Piper the other day. Why? Because Nico forgot to shadow-shield-glue the door closed and Will decided to pop by before Percy to "say goodbye."

_At least they have all their clothes on. _

"Guys!" Percy exclaimed. Nico and Will jumped apart. Will gave a little, awkward laugh, said " 'Bye, Neeks," and ran out.

"Coward!" Nico shouted after him, but Will was running so fast that Percy wasn't positive he heard. He rubbed the back of his neck, face flushed and cheeks hot. Nico kept his eyes on the floor.

"Soooo..." Percy said. "Never acknowledge this again?"

"Yeah," Nico agreed.

Both boys stood there awkwardly.

"I should go pack-"

"Yeah, yeah, you... you do that."

And Percy ran out.

An hour later, he watched his brother come over the hill with his backpack as an overnight questing bag. Or not-questing bag. Whichever.

"Hey, congratulations on the engagement." Percy turned. Thalia stood behind him. "Just wanted to say 'bye before I head up north. We never really got to talk since I got back."

"Yeah," Percy said. "And thanks."

His mind was on Nico, trudging up that hill with a backpack too full to carry. The sunset gave everything a dark, blood-red tint. He was worried. He was really worried. Nico, sans most demigod powers, would walk into the domain of the goddess who hated his ex-father the most out of all the Olympians to ask her for a favor she would never grant.

"I'll take care of him for you," Thalia assured him. "He'll be safe with us." She nudged her head towards the other Hunters. "They may not like boys much, but they wouldn't leave him out to rot. Even if they do, I won't."

"I thought you didn't like him either."

Thalia shook her head. "I don't know him well enough. But I do know this: to him, the Hunters are the reason his sister died. No kid should've gone through what he did. I won't let that stand. I hated us too, not too long ago. I respected Bianca. She loved him so much that she died trying to give him a gift. If anyone tries to hurt him, they'll do it over my dead body. And I'm immortal."

"Thank you," Percy said, though it didn't do all that much to ease his worries. Emotions don't listen to logic.

"I have to go," Thalia said. She waved goodbye to him and the Hunters, Nico, and Alabaster standing atop Half-Blood Hill. The Golden Fleece glittered in the dimming sunset, framing Chiron's human half as he spoke to the group. He gave them some Ziploc bags with supplies, then handed them off to Argus.

Percy didn't notice Annabeth until she snaked her hand into his.

"He'll be ok."

"They said that about Bianca too."

**_NICO_**

Argus's van was Apollo's sun chariot all over again.

Van wasn't the right word. With thirty-something Hunters of Artemis, Argus chartered a bus. Or Chiron did, anyway. It would be hard for Argus to talk on the phone because he had an eye where his tongue was. He had eyes over every centimeter of his body. It freaked Nico out.

So, there he sat, alone with Al in the front of the bus, trying not to look at Argus, with all the Hunters squished in the back four rows, trying to ignore their existence.

Al found it all funny. _Funny_.

"What, do they think they'll catch cooties?"

"Yes." Nico was short with him, but he didn't care.

"Well, they should grow up."

"Yeah."

Al rolled his eyes at Nico's behavior. "You're acting like a little kid too."

Nico didn't respond. He put his earbuds in his ears and made a point of turning the volume all the way up and pressing play.

"Have it your way," Al said. They didn't talk after that.

After forty-five minutes of bumper-to-bumper traffic in a bus the temperature of a refrigerator, tensions were high. Nico moved closer to the middle of the bus to get away from Al. He felt too claustrophobic, or maybe that was his ADHD kicking in. He moved to a different seat. He sunk down so he was sitting between the seat and the back of the next, where his feet went, like a little cave. That didn't do anything either. He started pacing up and down the aisle. He played a game called "let's see how close I can get to the Hunters before they have to admit that I exist."

He heard Dr. Solberg's voice in his head, saying something like 'being antagonistic doesn't help anything,' but Dr. Solberg wasn't there. Nico wasn't cutting. He didn't have any intrusive thoughts or mood swings. It was none of her business.

Ianthe the Hunter bent down to pick some lint off of her pants the same moment Nico edged a bit closer to her and the other girls. When she looked up, she got a full view of Nico only a few feet from her. She recoiled on instinct just long enough for Nico to see. He turned and walked towards the front of the bus with a proud smile on his lips.

_Ten points to Slytherin. _

Before he could do a 180° and try to scare Ianthe again, Argus stopped the bus at another bus station. Al, completely done with him, threw Nico's backpack at his chest and shoulder-checked on the stairs down to the sidewalk.

Manhattan. Nico was back in action. Despite living in a quiet villa, quiet camp, or quiet Underworld/Labyrinth-farm most of his life, the lights and sounds of the city invigorated him. He was a city boy now with the New York apartment to prove it.

_Give the Hunters the woods. This is __my __city. _

Without a word, Argus turned right to the next block and disappeared in the maze of gridlocked, honking-despite-the-fact-that-it's-illegal cars.

"Where to?" Al asked the Hunters cheerfully. They didn't say a word back.

The bus arrived. It wasn't empty since New York City buses never are, but only a handful of old men and women sat in the handicapped seats in the front of the bus. They all had to squish past the walkers in the aisle.

With a whisper from Thalia, Al cast a spell over the driver and old people, and the bus started rolling. Thalia pulled a map from her knapsack and told them the plan. "We have to travel northwest. We'll take this bus over the George Washington Bridge, then travel west until we hit Cheyenne, Wyoming. Then we'll go northwest, cutting straight through Wyoming, until we get to Yellowstone. Cut north through the park until we hit Chouteau county. That's where Ceres' palace is: New Arcadia."

"Persephone said _Southern _Montana," Roszí reminded them. "Chouteau is not south."

"Did you memorize a map of Montana?" Nico muttered.

Roszí snapped her head towards him and tried to stare him down, to pounce like she was a tiger and he some tiny bird. "I pay attention, _boy_."

"Persephone obviously got her Montana geography wrong," Al said, trying to suppress a smile.

_How can you find this funny?! _

Al borrowed the map from Thalia. "Chouteau is the number one wheat producer in Montana. And it's directly north of Yellowstone, practically a straight line. Thalia's right, that has to be where Persephone meant."

"How do you know it's the number one wheat producer in Montana?" Thalia asked, perplexed. "Lady Artemis just told me that's where to go."

"I looked it up on Nico's iPod while he was pacing like a maniac," Al said. "There's a government website dedicated to farming stats by state. I wanted to see if we could pinpoint exactly where we were going."

_Oh, look, a boy did something smart. Do the Hunters acknowledge it? Nope. _

"Damn, I can't see the stars," Thalia muttered to herself. She had a compass between her legs, hidden from onlookers by the crowd of young girls. She glanced at the speedometer of the bus with squinty eyes and up again at the dark sky. She started mouthing to herself, walking through some complicated math problems in her head.

Al tried to hand the map back to the Hunters, but none of them took it. Most of them wanted to burn that map like it was Kronos's sarcophagus.

"We're going forty miles an hour," Al told Thalia. "That's what you're looking at, right? The speedometer?"

"Yeah," Thalia said, only half listening, distracted with her math. Nico saw one of the Hunters give a horrified glance to another, and that was it. He couldn't take it anymore.

"I don't want to sound like a greeting card, but we're in this together," Nico said in a harsh whisper to all the Hunters. "Now would you all please grow up and stop thinking of yourselves and do something other than your little girls' club?"

Nico didn't remember what happened next. He blinked, and suddenly he was seconds away from a fistfight with Ianthe, fuming with anger he hadn't felt since he laid eyes on Harry Potter in the Chamber of Secrets. "If you push me, I'll show you how a little girl fights!" Ianthe hissed.

"Break it up!" Thalia whispered a little too loudly. "Now! Ianthe, you're a Hunter; have some self-control, or I swear to the gods-"

Thalia never finished that sentence. Al had only time to say "Uh, guys..." before one of the old men in the front of the bus stood, hunched like the average old man with a walker, except he wasn't using his walker anymore. His four other friends stood too. What Nico had assumed were beards and hair turned out to be feathers, a beak nose just a beak, and glassy eyes the unblinking eyes of a rooster. Their winter coats transformed into flaps of skin between their clawed hands to form a dragon-like wing and clawed humps and feathers forming a mane down their backs.

They all walked towards the demigods on the toes of their clawed feet, lizard tail swishing back and forth, turning the seats to nothing but fluff.

"A cockatrice!" Al warned. "It's from my mother's la-"

The old man hissed, sticking out his reptilian tongue.

He pounced.

**END NOTES**

How many Percy's can I fit into one story? Time shall tell.

The "What I do for your people:" NASS USDA /Quick_Stats/Ag_ ?state=MONTANA

Actual Sources:  
Wikipedia /Cerastes  
TourMyCountry /austria/monarchy

This week's beta commentary:  
STORY: He had eyes over every centimeter of his body  
LISSY: Because he's Italian. #metricsystem  
SARA: #engineershatethistwopartysystem  
#politicsormeasurements  
#both  
#bothisgood  
#hashtag  
SARA: wiki/Mars_Climate_Orbiter #STOPTHEMADNESS

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)  
Sara - Beta Reader (Tumblr icomparemyselftoyou)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you next time!

**COMMENTS**

**ShadeFireDragon**

_Now that I think about it, Nico acts like the demigod messenger all the time. Sending the Athena Parthenos to Camp Half Blood, traveling with the Seven all around the world, idk :P And now he's going all the way to Yellowstone!? Man, he travels around XD_

He really is, isn't he? Don't forget about traveling to Camp Jupiter, and all the tasks he did for his father between books 4 & 5 and between the series-es.

**The Goode Ravenclaw**

_le gasp! is Cho Umbitch's horcrux?! Wait, no, never mind... that would mean that Umbitch actually has a soul, and that's impossible. I really love the chapter! And a couple boys traveling with the hunters... that's gonna be fun. I can't wait for the next chapter!_

Nah, she can't be Umbridge's horcrux. Like you said, she doesn't have a soul to split. Next week, the quest begins! I hope it won't dissapoint.


	7. Attack of the Killer Roosters

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

The questers continue their journey. The Grangers are trapped in a blizzard.  


**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: Teen and Up Audiences  
Content Warning: Cursing, Rape/Sexual Harassment (mentioned only), Mild Racism  
Word Count: 3772

Roszí is pronounced ROW-shee.

Merda is shit in Italian. Just FYI.

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_NICO_**

* * *

_A four-year-old boy heard the sound of a bus's engine the same moment Mamma gave him the news._

_"I won't go! I won't go!" Nico screamed. "I won't leave Venice!" _

_"Nico," Mamma chided. "You're a big boy, my little angel, you can do anything, even if it's hard." _

_"I WON'T GO!" he shrieked. "I'll run away! I'll live with the orphans! Do you want me to live with the orphans?!" His cheeks were hot, red, and covered in tears. When Mamma ignored him, he only screamed louder. "You hate me! I hate you! You hate me!" He collapsed on the floor and screamed, drumming his fists on the ground. _

_"All right," Mamma said. "Hmm, Nonno, will you get a bag? Nico wants to live with the orphans."_

_Nonno complied. Nico kept on screaming because he knew Mamma wouldn't let him live with the orphans. Nonno came back with a knapsack. Mamma hummed as she gathered the items. "Well, Nico, what will you need? Here is some food, and your blanket, why don't you run upstairs and take Ele from your bed? I will go to the water closet and get you a bar of soap." _

_"I'LL LIVE WITH ORPHANS!" Nico screamed at the top of his lungs. "I HATE THE AOSTA VALLEY! I WON'T GO! I WON'T GO! I WON'T GO! I WON'T GO! I WON'T GO!" _

_"Grandpa? Will you get Nico's clothes and Ele? I need to finish quickly so he can get to the orphans before nighttime." _

_Nonno returned with the items. The bag was packed. Nico kept throwing his tantrum. "Up you go," Mamma said as she lifted him off the floor, kicking and screaming. She wrestled the knapsack into his arms and ushered him out the door. "Out, out. I'm sure you will find the orphans before the sun sets." _

_Mamma pushed him onto the street. He looked back at her, standing in the doorway with Bianca crying and clutching her leg. "Nico!" Bianca cried. "Nico, don't go!" _

_But Nico made up his mind. With tears in his eyes, he marched out the door and followed the brick steps to the cobblestone road. That is, until he got to the canal outside his house. He stopped. _

_"Well?" Mamma asked from the doorway. "On you go, Nico." _

_"I can't!" Nico sniffed, wiping his nose with his hand. "I'm not allowed to cross the street by myself!"_

* * *

"Nico, watch out!" someone screamed.

"-oh, _merda_!" Nico ducked just in time to avoid the cockatrice's attempted lizard-tail-to-the-face.

That had started happening more and more. Since his cutting was so closely related to his memories of his family, he spent a lot of time on them with Dr. Solberg. Memories came easier now-Dr. Solberg said that was because being so hung up on his family created a wall that's now being broken or some other therapist-y reason Nico didn't pay much attention to. Unfortunately, most of the time, his memories resurfaced when something reminded him of something from his past, and his ADHD brought him on some thought tangent. It was annoying since his ADHD was supposed to be _helpful _in battle, not cause him to lapse in consciousness, but with all the other stuff his sick brain liked to do, he guessed he got one of the defective parts of that particular disorder.

_A monster attack on a New York City bus isn't the time to black out, you idiot. _

Nico jumped on top of one of the few bus seats left unscathed from the five cockatrices attacking them. He grabbed onto the nearest pole and jumped to avoid the monster's violent peck from its rooster beak. He pushed himself onto the wall and ran a few steps, then wall-jumped off. By way of the pole, he spun in the air, and he got the stupid monster square in the eyes. It fell back long enough for Nico to slice through its beak like butter with his Stygian Iron sword. It wailed in pain.

"Damn to- ahh!" A second cockatrice rammed its talons Nico's leg before he could finish the curse. Nico fell to the ground... where the first cockatrice was. And it wasn't happy about the whole beak thing. It ran on its dragon-like legs with its clawed fingers aiming straight for his neck. Nico scrambled back but soon hit the wall of the bus.

"_Merda, merda, merda, merda..._" Nico held up his new Celestial Bronze shield just in time to miss the cockatrice's fatal blow.

_I owe you one, Leo. Happy holidays. _

With a twist of his fingers, a shadow-shield trapped his enemy in a makeshift cage. Nico swiped his sword down a tiny slot in the shadow-shield, and the trapped cockatrice was nothing more than a pile of dust.

He stood. The Hunters stood in formation in the back, firing volleys of arrows at three monsters, but they were flying around so quickly that most of the arrows hit non-lethal areas and did nothing more than annoy them. Al engaged the fourth cockatrice right behind Nico, firing a series of multicolored spells while he dodged the talons of the beast. They had to be resistant to magic because while the spells slowed it down, it wasn't as dusty as anyone wanted.

Nico ran to the front of the bus where the mortal bus driver was still chugging along, unaware of anything happening. "Sorry!" he told the driver, then knock the guy unconscious and threw him on the floor. Now to put Paul's driving lessons to the test.

Thank Artemis (and that was the only time Nico would ever say that) there wasn't a car in sight leading to the George Washington Bridge. Nico slammed on the gas, and the speedometer needle increased from forty to one hundred. The EZ pass velcroed to the window made the toll booth's divider rise much faster than normal, and Nico got through to New Jersey.

Nico glanced behind him to see Thalia wrestling with a cockatrice who wanted to take her bow. Two of the other hunters were jabbing their hunting knives into its back, but it was hard to avoid the spiky mane.

"Look at the road!" one of the Hunters barked.

_Right. _

Nico turned back to the road.

_Isaac Newton. _

The thought popped in Nico's head unannounced.

_Um... what? _

"Repeat after me. An object in motion will stay in motion until acted upon by an outside force. An object at rest will stay at rest until acted upon by an outside force."

_Thank you Physics I! _

Nico started to swerve. Should he be crossing willy-nilly into other lanes? No, but there was nobody else there.

The plan worked. The cockatrices were flying independently of the bus; they crashed into the metal walls each time Nico swerved. Unfortunately, the volleys of arrows were also in the air, and Nico narrowly avoided one whizzing past his ear. It hit the front window, but the glass didn't break, thank the gods.

"No bows! Knives out!" Thalia ordered. The metallic thunks of the cockatrices were replaced by the flashing lights of body-binding curses and hunting knives stabbing wailing monsters. By the time they were over the bridge, five piles of dust littered the aisle.

"Watch out!" Al yelled.

Actually, four piles of dust littered the aisle, because the last, squawking cockatrice dug its talon through the driver's seat and into Nico's right shoulder. Nico screamed in pain. Al hit it with Avada Kedavra seconds later, but it wasn't enough. The bus jerked a little too hard to the right and tipped over. What was once the right wall was now the floor, and thirty-something hunters plus two boys were bruised, dazed, and had the wind knocked out of them.

Oh, and the bus was totaled.

"Imbecile!" Roszí shouted at him.

Nico gritted his teeth. "Fuck you!"

**_THALIA_**

Thalia stood in the main area of a ski lodge. It was on the smaller side, but cozy and warm. A living area consisted of a burning and crackling fireplace, two tan couch chairs, and a throw rug underneath them. Behind it was a small kitchen and dining table. The front door stood to the right of it all, and a hallway leading to the bedrooms and bathrooms was just behind the front door.

A family of eight lounged in the main area. Two middle-aged men chatted as one boiled some water on a gas stove in the kitchen. Two women sipped tea at the table. Three kids sat on the floor, doing a puzzle. Another girl curled up with a book by the crackling fire.

The snow outside was piled so high that it covered half their window. The blizzard was still going strong enough that Thalia could see the flurries despite how dark the post-sunset afternoon was.

"Will we be snowed in, Sadie?" the blond woman asked.

"Most likely," Sadie said.

The lights flickered, then shut off. The only light left in the room was the fireplace and the tiny flames of the gas stove's burner.

"Well, there goes the power," the man by the pot said. "Hermione, can you get the candles from the closet?"

"All right," Hermione said, closing her book. She put it on the fireplace mantle and gingerly walked to the hallway. No wonder, it must've been pitch black over there. "I have them!" she called.

"Tanisha! Jeremy! Help Hermione light the candles," Sadie instructed. "April, why don't you bunch up some aluminum foil so the candles have somewhere to go." The three kids stood.

"Where's it, Mommy?" April asked.

Her mother opened the drawer and handed it to her. Soon, a few candles lit the room.

"Can I go to my room?" Hermione asked. "I, um, want to get some rest."

One of the men, presumably her father, nodded. "Take some extra blankets from the linen closet. There's a flashlight on the floor of the coat closet, too."

Hermione walked down the hall to her bedroom. Flashlight in hand, she rummaged through her suitcase until she found a very long, very thick book. She went to a page she'd bookmarked with a post-it note and read. Her face got graver each passing second. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I feel like an idiot," she whispered, "but..." she glanced back at the book, checking something. "Hey, Hecate? I wish I knew what was happening. I know you have better things to do, but you're my goddess and patron. I don't want last year to happen again. Whatever's going on, please put a stop to it, for all our sakes." Tears fell down her cheeks. "Harry died to save us. Don't let that be in vain."

Thalia woke to find Ianthe leaning over her, ferociously tapping her shoulder. "Thalia?"

Thalia sat up slowly, rubbing her neck as she yawned. "How long was I out?"

"Only a minute." She cast a sideways glance to Nico, currently dragging the mortal bus driver out of a hole that used to be the front window. The door was blocked by the pavement of the New Jersey Turnpike. "_ That one _knocked the bus over."

"Stop it, Ianthe, it was more complicated than that and you know it."

"How can you defend him?!"

"Boys are immature. Be better than them. I know you are."

Ianthe huffed but didn't say anything else. She lifted Thalia and helped her through the temporary door. They were the last ones to leave the bus.

"Is anyone hurt?" Thalia asked. From the corner of her eye, she saw Alabaster handing Nico a tiny vial of blood-red liquid. "Besides Nico?" A few of the Hunters shook their heads, and a few more said "no." "Good," Thalia said. "Okay, new plan, girls! We have to move quickly, and we don't have Lady Artemis. There's a reason only three half-bloods go on most quests: there's too much magic in the air; every monster within half a mile can probably smell us.

"Ianthe and Roszí, stay with me. Everyone else goes straight north to Nunavut, and we'll meet you there. We have to separate, or the monsters will slow us down." Many of her sisters protested. "It sucks splitting up, but any second we spend fighting is a second we lose. We could've used that bus much longer if the cockatrices didn't attack. I know we're all good fighters, but we only have twenty-three hours left. Five minutes of fighting could be life and death.

"Yasmina, you're acting first lieutenant until we rendezvous. Roszí, Ianthe, get us the supplies we'll need. Two minutes for goodbyes, max. We gotta go."

Thalia inched closer to Nico and Alabaster to make sure they were okay. There was gauze on Nico's shoulder and leg now, but he looked okay otherwise. "It's a blood-replenishing potion," Alabaster was telling him. "After the stone slide, I figured better safe than sorry."

Nico seemed far away. "_Cinque andranno a ovest verso la dea in catene. Contare le catene metaforica?_"

It was under his breath, but she heard. He was talking to himself. Thalia didn't like that.

"What?" Alabaster asked.

Nico said nothing. Even without context, Thalia could guess at the Italian translation.

_'Five shall go west to the goddess in chains.' Bianca died on her way over. Now there's five of us heading west to a goddess a slave to-or chained by-Hecate. _

The five of them were silent as the walked west. Within a few minutes, they crossed a river into Hackensack, New Jersey. "We can rent a car," Alabaster offered. "I can do some magic, convince the salesperson we're twenty-five? Nico can drive."

"No." Four voices chirped in unison.

_At least Nico can agree with us on something. _

"Then what's the plan?" Alabaster asked.

"The time, Nico?" Thalia asked. Nico tossed her his iPod without a word. She checked the screen. "It's 5:43," she said. "Sunset's at 4:28 tomorrow. At the rate we're going, if I did my math right, we can cover about one hundred miles every hour, maybe one-twenty if we don't hit any trouble."

Alabaster whistled. "I'm liking this blessing."

Thalia ignored the evil eye Roszí was giving Alabaster. "We'll stay in the woods, cover our tracks, keep our heads down. Alabaster, the last thing we need is another tight space to get trapped in."

They were able to get to Akron, Ohio before they ran into a problem. Her hunters were leading the way to get as far from the boys as possible. The boys trailed in the back. "Thalia," Alabaster called. He jogged up to her side. "We have to break camp. I didn't realize because he wasn't complaining, but Nico's in a bad state. His leg wound opened up again. I gave him another potion but, at this rate, he'll be crippled by the time we reach Cheyenne."

"_Di Immortalis! _" Thalia cursed. "Can't you stitch him up with magic?"

Alabaster shook his head. "I'm not a son of Apollo. I've already done what I can, but it isn't enough. The wound's deep, really deep. The adrenaline of battle kept him on his feet before I got to him, but his muscle's punctured and one of his ligaments snapped. If he were in my mother's lands, they'd've replaced his leg with a peg-leg by now. I wasn't kidding about being crippled."

"It's because he's mortal," Thalia realized. "He gets it worse in battle." Alabaster nodded. "Remind me why Persephone's doing this to him again?"

"Because he's the only one who would go."

"Ianthe!" Thalia called despite herself. This was a disaster waiting to happen, but there was nothing she could do.

Ianthe jogged over to her. Roszí stopped walking, as did Nico. "What's up, Thalia?"

"Don't kill me, but I need you to deal with Nico. We're gonna have to carry him the rest of the way if you don't."

"I'm fine!" Nico protested.

"No, you're not," Thalia snapped. "Your leg's almost torn off, I can see it from here."

Nico took a few steps to try and prove he was all right. Thalia suspected he meant to run, but his leg wouldn't let him. He grimaced with every step even going at an average pace but was able to keep himself from making a sound. It was stupid but admirable. Ianthe was almost impressed with him. Almost.

"Sit," she instructed. Nico kept walking.

Nico shot her a number ten death stare, the type Thalia thought only she could give. Ianthe refused to wilt. Nico was distracted long enough that Roszí caught him off guard and could throw a hunting net over him. It was only after he fell to the ground, tangled in the net, that he stopped moving. He grunted with pain when his leg hit the dirt, and Thalia suspected he'd be yowling if the Hunters weren't around.

"Do as Ianthe instructs," Roszí growled. She kept him in the net a little longer than was necessary, but Thalia was just happy that they agreed to help him without protest. Keeping it civil, however, was too much to ask. Nico argued over every little thing, Ianthe was rougher than she needed to be, and Roszí looked downright murderous the entire time.

"There," Ianthe huffed. "You're done."

Nico stood on a new leg. Ianthe did her work well. "Let's go," he said.

"Thou shalt not command us!" Roszí hissed. "And thank thy doctor, boy. She saved thee from a trip to Hades."

"I'm _fine_," Nico retorted.

"Thy willfulness slowed us!" Roszí accused. "We hath lost ten minutes healing thee!"

Nico clenched his fists. "You wanna go?! I'll show you how well I heal."

Alabaster grabbed Nico's arm and swung him around. "You want to stop throwing a tantrum?"

Nico shoved Alabaster off of him so hard that the son of Hecate ate dirt. Thalia's eyes widened. Whatever he'd said had seriously set Nico off, and she did not like where this was going. She jumped in the middle of them and put her hands on her sisters' chests to stop them from advancing. "Break it up, now!"

"I won't be told what to do by some gypsy!" Nico shouted.

Thalia slowly lowered her hands. "What did you just say?" she growled. "Don't you _dare._" Clouds rolled in. Lightning struck. Thunder boomed. "This isn't nineteen-forty, di Angelo. Cool off, now! And shut your mouth!"

Nico punched her square in the jaw. Thalia again held both of her sisters back from retaliation. She spat some blood and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. They stared each other down.

"You're right. No more tantrums." He marched into the distance. Thalia could vaguely see his outline on the horizon.

Thalia helped Alabaster up. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he said, brushing some dirt off his pants. "Are you?"

Thalia laughed, but it was hollow. "I've had worse."

"That spineless little brat!" Ianthe exclaimed. "How dare he!"

"Stop. With. The. Bickering!" Thalia shouted. "You both are as much to blame as he is! You can't constantly rag on someone and not expect them to fight back! Lady Artemis commanded us to escort him to Montana, like it or not, and that's what we're going to do! The world is in jeopardy, and you're acting like toddlers! You swore an oath to our Lady, and if you don't shape up I will personally make sure she knows, and you'll have to deal with her wrath!"

Her voice rang out and echoed over the trees. Knowing her luck, monsters would hear and come for them, but, at this point, Thalia didn't care. She was so _done_. "Look," she said. "I don't like him. I never have. But he has been through the wringer, and I respect him for it. The fact that he's sane is a miracle, and, for all I care, he can act like a jackass with all the heroic shit he's done and fucked-up shit he's gone through. So, I'm gonna find some love for him until sundown. You better too."

Alabaster was sitting on a fallen tree nearby, pretending he didn't exist. Roszí and Ianthe stood between him and Thalia, eyes on the ground like a reprimanded child. "Are you going to tell them or should I?" Alabaster asked.

Thalia wanted that sphinx or manticore to attack already and spare her from her first lieutenant duties, but her prayer was greeted with nothing but the wind whistling through the trees. "I'll do it," she forced herself to say. "They've proven that they won't listen to you."

If Roszí or Ianthe wanted to protest, they kept their mouths shut.

Alabaster stood. "I'll go check on him, leave you guys alone." The three of them watched him walk to the tree Nico was sulking in, and climbed up into the canopy of leaves.

"He hates us," Thalia told them. "He honest-to-gods hates us. Ianthe, you weren't with us yet. I don't know how much you remember, Roszí, you spent most of those days in Cabin Eight. It was seven years ago, before the Second Titan War. Atlas captured Lady Artemis and our old first lieutenant Zoë Nightshade went to save her."

Thalia bit her lip. She didn't like thinking about that quest. "Before our Lady was taken, my two of my friends and I found Nico. He was an orphan, Zeus killed his mother, and he was taken from his home in Italy to America and forced into the Lotus Hotel and Casino, a place where time stands still, for seventy years, all because the Big Three were having a catfight. He was born before World War Two, that's how old he really is. His sister Bianca raised him, and she joined the Hunt the same day they found out they were demigods. Bianca went with Zoë, and both of them died. The Hunters are a death sentence to him, and our Lady is the executioner. I'm not going to go into his sob story anymore, but trust me, he's had a hard life and never recovered from Bianca's death, as far as I know. You have to cut him some slack. Please, for me."

He left. It took a long time for anyone to say anything.

"I was bad-mannered," Roszí admitted. "I shan't forgive him, but our Lady sent us on this quest. I shall not disrespect her again."

"Good," Thalia said. "Ianthe?"

"Fine," she managed. "I don't have to like him, but I don't want him dead, either. It's not worth the world."

"Exactly," Thalia agreed. "Thank you."

"Guys!" Alabaster came running.

Thalia felt a pit in her stomach. "Let me guess; he ran off?"

"And, this time, no one can blame me."

**END NOTES**

I have Nico speaking a lot of Italian here because Nico's flashback was in Italian, and according to my bilingual teacher, you tend to think in whatever language you were last speaking in. I didn't put his thoughts in Italian because, like the dream, they're in his head so it doesn't matter. But he's speaking here.

Also if you were curious "Cinque andranno a ovest verso la dea in catene. Contare le catene metaforica?" translates to "Five shall go west to the goddess in chains. Do metaphorical chains count?" I didn't translate it in the story since we aren't in Nico's perspective, so Thalia wouldn't know what it meant.

Sources:  
Riordan /Cockatrice  
Wikipedia /Cockatrice

This week's beta commentary:  
STORY: And this time, no one can blame me.  
SARA: me when the cat knocks over a dish rack when i'm asleep  
SARA: long story short - orange cans sound like food cans to a cat. interesting things can happen.  
LISSY: Also me when my dog jumps on my bed and throws my pillows on the floor.

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)  
Sara - Beta Reader (Tumblr icomparemyselftoyou)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you next time!

**COMMENTS**

Thank you to **Sunny Freedom **for favoriting this story!

**Bella the Demigod Wizard**

_! I DIDN'T REVIEW YESTERDAY BECAUSE IT WAS MARCH 22ND AND I WAS WATCHING THE GHOST OF YOU OVER AND OVER AGAIN WHILE _SOBBING!_ Now that we have all that cleared up -* I THOUGHT I WAS DONE CRYING FOR THE WEEK BUT NOOOO IT JUST HAD TO BE ANOTHER EMOTIONAL CHAPTER._

_*They don't have [any] dashes on my keyboard so I had to use a hyphen. _its realllyyy_ triggering me._

Hahaha you should know by now that most of the chapters are emotional. Don't worry, though, I do have some lighter ones coming up. Even I need a reprieve sometimes.

**ShadeFireDragon**

_Why you do this to Nico *cries*_

Because it's fun. Why do I love torturing the characters I love? Beats me, but I do.

**The Goode Ravenclaw**

_I'm really happy that Cho is becoming more of a _center_ character, she is so underrated! I can already see the tension between the Hunters and Nico and Alabaster. I really can't wait for the quest and next update!_

I KNOW RIGHT I LOVE CHO CHANG! And she takes a central role here, so you'll see a lot more of her. And you know there'll always be tension between boys and the Hunters, especially if that boy is Nico. I do my best to explore that avenue.


	8. New York Takes a Trip to Oz

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

The questers search for Nico. Nico has a dream.  


**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: Teen and Up Audiences  
Content Warning: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Self-Harm (mentioned only)  
Word Count: 3613

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_NICO_**

Nico knew it was stupid to run. But he couldn't take those Hunters a second longer. What had he ever done to them for them to make his life a living hell? What had he ever done to Persephone for her to risk his life in this way? What had he ever done to Hecate for her to incite war a second time, just to spite him? What had he ever done to Hades for him to play with his emotions this way? What had he ever done to Olympus to become their pawn?

Born, that's what it was. Born. Born to a god and a mortal, born as a boy, born as an outcast. One year of sweet freedom, one year without anyone chaining him to his genes, and suddenly he was back where he always was. Alone, used, on the run, with his friends far behind him. There was his answer, there was the point of last year's quest. The Ghost King may choose his own destiny... within the confines of a prophecy. Never forget: you will always be subject to the gods.

It was cruel. The Fates were cruel.

_Do it. _

A voice, a familiar longing, broke through the turmoil in Nico's brain.

_You know you want to. No one will know. Do it. _

"No," Nico said aloud. "I won't cut. I won't go back to that. Shut up."

_You're all alone. Do it. _

"Geez, I'm already bleeding. Focus on that."

The further he went, the further he ran, the more the voice overwhelmed him. He'd relapsed a few times over the past year, but not again. At least, not right now. The world was on its way out unless he could stop it and he didn't have the time to start hurting himself. It was hard since no one was around, but he resisted. And he was proud of himself for it.

Nico caught his foot on a branch and fell into the Illinois River. He suppressed a scream when his leg and shoulder hit the freezing water. It looked like both he and the voice got their way. Despite himself, Nico sighed a bit at the pain, even though it was accidental. It helped a little, enough that he was tempted to do it again, but he pushed himself up and kept going. Like he always did.

It was 11:30 PM. Sixteen hours until the deadline, and he didn't know how far west he was yet. Snowflakes peppered the ground and stung his skin. The freezing water droplets from his swim in the river turned to ice.

_Ceres and Khione are fucking with me. Shit. _

"I have to get out of the snow, or I'll freeze to death," he said to no one. "Okay, follow the river to find civilization. Maybe rob a coat store or something."

He did just that. It was fifteen minutes of grueling work, all with a leg burning with pain and little voice in his head asking him to fall, but, at last, Nico stumbled into what a sign declared Peoria, Illinois. It was definitely a city, but nothing close to New York. The streets were deserted in the snow and darkness of the near-Solstice night. Nico walked under the streetlights, limping on his injured leg, forcing himself to keep going. A minute later he was on the other side, off into the Illinois farmland and suburbia.

On the outskirts of the city, he found a small convenience store. He knew he had to keep walking, but he was so cold, so tired, and in so much pain that he couldn't take another step.

_Let Ceres win. I don't care anymore. _

Nico grabbed the biggest rock he could find. He in his hand a few times to make sure he got the angle right, then threw it at the storefront door. Success. The lock broke, and the door creaked open. He discarded of the rock and went inside, gluing the door shut with his shadow-shield.

_"Your mortality makes it easier to be pulled to the Underworld should you go too far."_

"Oh, go back to Hades, Persephone. The god or the place, I don't care anymore."

I don't care anymore. After the number of times he'd said those words in the last few hours, he should make it his ringtone. The words rang in his ear as he changed his gauze, wrapped a blanket around himself, and ate a granola bar under his blanket tent. He set his iPod alarm to go off in a half-hour, then curled up to take a nap. The Hunters wouldn't find him here, and even if they could, they couldn't get through the door.

In his dream, Nico stood in a strange, yet vaguely familiar city. Women in dresses and men in collared shirts bustled past with briefcases in their hands or children on their arms. Grand buildings speckled the horizon, but those that lined the street weren't anything special.

Nico saw a woman get into an antique car that was waiting for her. "Thank you, Peter. Back to 3000 Whitehaven, please."

Nico swallowed hard.

_Mamma? _

It was her. Far younger than Nico remembered her to be, and in different, older clothes than he remembered her wearing, but it was her. Black hair and olive skin like Nico's, button nose and tight lips like Bianca. She wrapped a driving scarf on top of that black hat she always wore, the one with the netting in the front, and motioned for Peter to drive.

They arrived at a rectangular building made of white marble, decorated with intricate carvings and an Italian flag out front, waving in the wind. With a gracious smile to Peter, she got out of the car and went inside. The embassy was vast and luxurious inside, worthy of its grand entrance. Nico remembered these apartments; when they moved to Washington D.C. he, Mamma, and Bianca stayed there with one of Nonno's friends. At least, for a few weeks, until Papà collected them and shipped them off to the next location in their "avoid Zeus and Poseidon" road trip.

_Hades. Not Papà. D.C., you're messing with my brain. _

Mamma sat down at a desk and started to write a letter. But, she only got through the date (2 May 1926) when a knock at the door interrupted her. "Enter," she said.

It was Nonno. He wore his military uniform, the one with all the pins and patches that fascinated Bianca so much. Come to think of it, Nico didn't know which division Nonno served in. He must've mentioned it to him at some point during their ten years together, but Nico forgot. That unsettled him. He didn't like forgetting.

"Maria! La cena con il Segretario Hull è stata riprogrammata per stasera." **[Maria! The dinner with Secretary Hull was rescheduled for tonight.] **

Mamma sighed and put away her papers.

"Mi fai impazzire, Padre. Sarò pronto."** [You make me crazy, Father. I'll be ready.]**

Nonno laughed at the look of disgust his daughter gave him. His laugh never came easy, but when it did, it lit the room.

"Solo poche settimane, Maria. Il Duce vuole che riprenda la mia posizione a Venezia." **[Only a few more weeks, Maria. Il Duce wants me to resume my position in Venice.]**

Mamma got tense at 'Il Duce.'

"Non parlare di quell'uomo!" **[Don't speak of that man!]**

Nico knew what caused that reaction: that's what everyone in Italy called Mussolini. Mamma never liked him, in fact, she was a spy for the Americans who tried to get him out of power. Nico didn't know when that started, but the intensity in the apartment wing of the U.S. Italian Embassy answered that question. This was the real reason Nonno was in Washington.

"Ho paura per te, Padre, così vicino a lui. Le Persone continuano a uccidere e stanno diventando più ambiziosi. Uno ha anche provato per quel diavolo incarnato il mese scorso." **[I fear for you, Father, so close to him. People keep killing, and they're getting more ambitious. They even tried for that devil incarnate last month.]**

Her tone made it clear she wished whoever it was had gotten him. She stood from her desk and took his hand.

"Non voglio che tu ti faccia male." **[I don't want you getting hurt.]**

Nonno's face gave nothing away. It was back to its resting state: grave and stoic. He whispered to his daughter.

"Devo stare vicino se vogliamo sopravvivere. Fai il tuo lavoro e tutto finirà presto." **[I have to stay close if we want to survive. Do your work, and it will all be over soon.]**

For a split second, faster than the blink of an eye, Hades appeared in front of the closed apartment door. No one noticed him but Nico.

His dream changed. He was back home, in his apartment in New York. Blaise and Hestia worked on an essay together at the kitchen table with their quills and parchment, a potions book open between them.

"Are we at five inches yet?" Blaise asked.

"No idea," Hestia said, "But mine still doesn't look long enough." She glanced up to see Blaise reading over her shoulder. She shielded it away from him. "Don't copy me! Snape will fail both of us!" When she lifted her arms, they were all full of ink. "Now look what you made me do!"

"Sorry." He leaned back in his chair, letting his quill drip into the inkwell. "This is boring. When's Nico getting back?"

"Tomorrow night. He has to finish up that trip for you-know-who first."

"Riddle?" Hestia only shook her head at him, disappointed in such a lousy joke.

Thunder boomed outside. One of the windows flew open. Blaise and Hestia exchanged a look. "I thought we closed that," she said, inching towards the window.

The moment her hand got to the knob, a powerful gust of wind shook the entire building. Manhattan was a vacuum; Hestia fell out the window, save her hands clutching the window frame. "Hestia!" Blaise cried. He ran over to her, but another gust of wind knocked her down right before he could pull her up. "Wingardium Leviosa!" Blaise shouted.

Slowly, Hestia rose. Beads of sweat dotted Blaise's forehead, but he held on. Paul ran into the kitchen just in time to see her hovering. "Oh my gods!" he cried. "Blaise, get her back to the window!"

"I'm trying!" he said through grit teeth. For a second, his strength failed him, and Hestia plummeted towards the ground. But, he recovered quickly enough to catch her again. Slowly but surely, Blaise fought against the storm and brought her close enough for Paul to reach out and grab her.

"In you go," he said. Hestia was crying hysterically, beyond terrified.

Sally ran into the kitchen. "Is everyone all right?!" she asked.

Before she could get a response, another gust of wind blew the curtain rod off of the window. Paul and Sally ducked in time, but both of the followers of Hecate were out cold. "We have to get out of here!" Paul shouted over the wind.

Paul threw Blaise over his shoulder. Sally pulled Hestia into her arms. They ran out of the door and slammed it. Just in time, too, because, thanks to another gust of wind, the kitchen table flew off its legs and hit the door with what would surely be a fatal blow.

His dream shifted to Camp Half-Blood now. The same tornado was wreaking havoc over the camp, blowing everything around and knocking the wind out of people. Campers were screaming and running to shelter, but half the cabins were damaged beyond repair, and many more close behind. Grover and the other satyrs furiously played their pipes, using nature magic to create enough of a buffer that everyone could escape, but it wasn't doing much.

"Everyone to the Big House basement!" Chiron was shouting. "The Hephaestus, Ares, and Demeter cabins also have an underground layer!"

Leo arrived on the scene. He had some contraption, a massive shield that Nico remembered helping him with. It was so big that he had to attach it to a golf cart. They meant to use it in battle, against winged monsters during an aerial assault (During a shouting match, Calypso told Leo to fight a drakon, and he decided to take her words to the "logical" extreme). He pressed what should be the golf cart's horn, then used the wheel to maneuver the shield at an angle that would block most of the wind. It did its work well, better than Nico suspected it would function during a drakon attack. Jason and Piper used the shield cover to help usher some of the younger campers into the Big House, but they couldn't do everything.

"Leo!" Calypso shouted. A massive bolt of lightning hit the shield. Leo jumped just in time, thanks to Calypso's warning. The cart was now on fire. Yeah. Metal. On fire.

"Go, Calypso!" he shouted back to her.

Nico woke with a start. 11:58 PM. Sufficiently warm, rested, and freaked out, Nico stuffed his blanket into his bag, grabbed some mortal money, threw it onto the counter by the register, and ran into the night.

**_THALIA_**

Once the blizzard started, Artemis blessed them with some massive wolves to help traverse the piling snow. It felt silly to ride their hunting wolves like horses, but they made tracking Nico easier and kept them all from getting hypothermia.

Snow fell so fast that Thalia couldn't see her hand from her face. She pulled on the fur lining of her hood for the millionth time, trying to get it to shield a bit more of her eyes from the flurries. Dirt switched to pavement, and soon five wolves with four humans on top were navigating a small city in the middle of a blizzard. If any mortals were outside their apartment, Thalia couldn't guess what the Mist would dig up.

On the other side of the city lay the woods, farmland, and square houses of suburbia. The wolves raced along the Illinois River, heading straight for the trees. Thalia pulled down her mouth scarf. "They've picked up the scent!" she called to the others. Almost in response to Thalia's comment, the wolves stopped and started howling into the night.

"Nico?!" Alabaster yelled over the wolves. "Nico, come out! Come on, you'll die out here!"

A figure came towards them, blocked by the snow. "Nico?" Thalia asked. The creature got closer. The wolves switched from howling to growling. "Oh, no..." Yellow eyes were only a few feet from Thalia now. "Get off your wolves," Thalia said, lips moving at a snail's pace, hoping Roszí or Ianthe would hear her. She didn't move a muscle. She knew those eyes, and they weren't friendly.

It was a wampus cat. A beast of Hecate's. It looked like a cross between a cougar and mountain lion but had a ferocity hundreds of times worse than either of those. They were native to the Appalachian Mountains; Thalia had never seen one so far west. But with a war brewing, Hecate could break a few geographical rules. Especially if it meant stopping an enemy quest.

Nico's wolf was nothing more than a flash of gray fur in the corner of Thalia's eye. It started wrestling the wampus cat long enough that Thalia could scramble off her wolf. "Go get it!" Thalia commanded, and her wolf joined the fray. The others followed suit, and soon five wolves were tearing the wampus cat apart. Thalia breathed a sigh of relief. For once, an easy hunt.

As always, she spoke too soon. Wampus cats didn't usually travel in packs, but, again, Hecate was playing fast and loose with the rules of nature here. Five wolves could take two, maybe three wampus cats. But a dozen of them and counting? Within seconds, the wolves were torn limb from limb. "No!" Ianthe cried. She always took it hard when an animal met its end. She notched an arrow and avenged their companion with a shot right between the eyes. The offending wampus cat yowled and fell, but another one immediately took its place.

Thalia and her Hunters fired arrow after arrow, but every wampus cat they took down seemed to be only one in an endless stream. Alabaster, using the Hunters as a distraction, scaled a tree, speed assisted by some magic of his own. From his perch, he pulled some blue orbs from his bag and threw them into the heart of the pack. It exploded in a flash of neon blue light; six wampus cats were nothing more than ash and snow. But another saw Alabaster and started to climb, trying to avenge its fallen comrades. He climbed higher and higher in the tree, trying to reach a branch too weak to support the wampus cat's weight, but it was too nimble for that.

"No!" Thalia shouted. She notched an arrow and aimed it at the monster, but it was moving too fast. Every arrow lodged itself in the tree. Thalia tried firing at the branches instead, but every branch that fell to Earth was just a step behind where the wampus cat was.

"Thalia!" Thalia turned at Ianthe's warning, long enough to see the wampus cat headed straight for her. She fell to the ground with it on top of her, wrestling with its enormous claws to keep them from her neck. She could smell the blood on the wampus cat's breath as it lunged again and again towards her face. She willed the wind to pick up and blast snow at her attacker. A massive piece of ice knocked it out long enough for Thalia to roll over and stab it with her hunting knife.

For half a second, she took in the scene: Roszí had been mauled, Ianthe was pinned underneath another wampus cat, and Alabaster couldn't climb any higher. The beast swiped, and he took a wrong step and plummeted ten feet to the ground.

"Formation seven!" Thalia shouted at Roszí. They stood back to back and spun, firing arrows off in every direction, starting with Ianthe's attacker. Ianthe made her way to Alabaster but was soon blocked by the encircling wampus cats. There were ten left, far too many to defend against at the speed they were advancing.

_If I go down, I'll go down fighting. _

A pale, raven-haired boy stepped out from behind a tree. With a flick of his hand, a massive pegasus made of bones materialized from his own shadow. One flap of its wings and they both shot into the air. It whipped its tail towards the wampus cats, and seven of them were on the ground, then three crushed by its massive feet. It took another two in its mouth and threw them miles into the horizon.

"Mark!" Thalia shouted. Three Hunters notched three arrows, a Stygian iron sword swiped at two, and the last of the beasts were nothing more than dust.

Ianthe found Alabaster face-first in the snow, out cold and hypothermic. They set up a quick camp in seconds flat to tend to him. Nico didn't climb from his beast's back, even to check on his friend. Thalia ignored that. She was too angry to deal with his mood swings right now.

"How is Alabaster?" Thalia asked Ianthe by the temporary campfire.

"He broke his ribs and both his legs, but it's all fixed now. I gave him a new set of clothes and some hot chocolate to warm himself up. He's resting inside. We'll be good to go in a few minutes."

Thalia sighed. "Good. Ianthe. Thank you for taking care of him. Roszí, help me collect the fur. The cats too, not just the wolves. We'll need extra layers if the blizzard keeps on going, and I don't think it'll stop any time soon. I had a dream when the bus knocked me out; this is definitely divine weather, but don't ask me which god's causing it."

Experience plus Lady Artemis's magic let them complete the task in ten minutes flat. Alabaster left the tent pretty soon after, and Ianthe and Roszí started to break camp. He and Thalia walked to Nico and his hellish pegasus.

"I'm glad you remembered what I taught you!" Alabaster called up to him. No response. "Nico...?" They climbed the creature's back to find him woozy, half-asleep, and with skin a little darker than usual. "He used a little too much underworld magic for a mortal soul to take," Alabaster explained. "His soul is fighting to stay in his body. Not nearly as bad as some other cases. He'll recover; I can help him. Get the others. We can use this thestral as transport, at least until daybreak. They have a lot of stamina, and this one's bigger than any I've ever seen. It should be able to carry all of us, easily."

Thalia's heart beat a million miles an hour. She didn't want to fly. She hated flying. But staying in the blizzard was suicide. The world came before her stupid, irrational fears. She watched Alabaster work his magic on Nico, and soon his skin turned from pale to its usual olive. Ianthe and Roszí climbed aboard the thestral as Nico opened his eyes with a cough.

"You saved us," Thalia said. "Thank you." Then, she slapped him hard across the face. He coughed violently, but no one, not even Alabaster, cared in the least. "Don't you ever put us in jeopardy again."

His whole body spasmed with a coughing fit. "Dream," he managed. "Zeus took Hecate's side. Camp's in trouble."

**END NOTES**

Sorry that there's nothing from the Wizarding World this chapter but I couldn't fit it in. Don't worry, it shall return next week!

Sources:  
Harry Potter Wiki /wampuscat

This week's beta commentary:  
STORY: What had he ever done to Hecate for her to incite war a second time, just to spite him?  
LISSY: Little arrogant, dude. I think you're simplifying things a little bit.  
SARA: But listen, simplicity is just the truth, right?  
Right?!

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)  
Sara - Beta Reader (Tumblr icomparemyselftoyou)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you next time!

**COMMENTS**

**FestusGirl**

_Wow, that's some deep ***Great chapter as usual._

_Oh and at some point it says my two of my friends and I.' I'm not sure if that's a correct sentence, but I don't really care._

Yeah, I try to go a bit deeper in this sequel, you know, make it a bit different than the first one. I really didn't want it to just be on repeat; I wanted to expand on some things that I didn't before, like Cho Chang's character, Nico's past, Nico's feelings on his father, Alabaster's character beyond his friendship with Nico, etc. All of these things have seeds in the first one but aren't focused on. And, of course, I have to address the affect Hecate and Hades' rivalry has on the immortal world, and what happens in the Wizarding World now that a) Voldemort's gone and was revealed to be alive in the first place, and b) how our wizard friends deal with the loss of Harry and being introduced into the world of the gods.

Wow I went on for a while. Sorry.

I'll check out that sentence in the last chapter and fix it if it is a typo. Thanks for letting me know!

**ShadeFireDragon**

_I do hope that the Hunters now respect Nico more, seeing as they now know that it's their profession that got his sister killed. Keep up the good work! Hope that the next chapter comes by quickly!_

I wouldn't say respect, but I do think that, after what Thalia said, they'll be less antagonistic. I'll do my best not to disappoint!

**The Goode Racenclaw**

_I love the chapter! (well I love every chapter, but that's beside the point) I just have to say that Nico's driving skills are awesome.I was a little confused on what relevance Hermione had in this chapter. did the Hunters and Nico and Alabaster just happen to go to the exact lodge that the Grangers were at or am I missing something? I can't wait for the next update!_

Aw, thank you so much! I'm glad you like Nico's driving lol. And Thalia was knocked out when the bus crashed; Hermione was her dream. If you mean why was that dream in there at all, well, you'll find out soon.


	9. Nico and Thalia Have an Attitude-Off

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

Nico and Thalia have a heart-to-heart. Hermione has a divine visitor.  


**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: General Audiences  
Content Warning: Rape (mentioned only)  
Word Count: 4232

We have two new betas, guys! Oli and Suhaila! Suhalia has exams, so she'll make her debut next week.

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_NICO_**

Nico knew he should sleep. He'd only gotten a half-hour's worth in that convenience store, and, after the pure exhaustion of dark magic and fighting to make his soul stay where it belonged, he should be at least a little tired. But he wasn't. At all.

It was 4:09 a.m., December 31st. Twelve hours, nineteen minutes left to speak with Ceres and save the world from war. And his nerves had passed the "overdrive" setting back in Indiana. Ceres would kill him the moment they stepped foot in Montana. Khione, or whichever god cast the raging blizzard, was trying to kill him now. Zeus was back in New York, wreaking havoc on the biggest city in America to send his daughter's chosen hero a message:

_I want Hades gone. Make this difficult for me, and I'll kill your family all over again. _

Nico thought nothing could be crueler than watching Bellatrix Lestrange torture Will at Riddle's behest. The Lord of the Sky proved him wrong.

"Do you think Sky Guy's aiming his Bolt at me right now?" Nico asked the thestral below him. "Maybe Ms. le Fay too. Oh, and Papà. They made you together, you know. The only time they ever cooperated, but this was before the whole kidnapping thing happened. So, I can't get blasted by Sky Guy unless you drop me. I guess he could send a gust of wind. Or Ms. le Fay could get me if Papà turns a blind eye. He'd do it too... Newt, this was a terrible idea."

"N- Newt?" Nico turned. Thalia was shivering something awful, even with all the layers and furs she had wrapped around her body. She was white as a sheet. Even that silvery glow of a Hunter didn't hide it. He probably didn't look much better.

"Sorry... I ramble when I'm nervous. Um... I thought everyone was asleep." Thalia was too terrified to say anything. "You know, we could land for a bit since everyone else is out cold. No one would know."

Relief washed over Thalia's face. Nico directed Newt to the ground; his heartbeat slowed with every meter they dropped. They plunged under the clouds, back into the thick of the blizzard, but he barely felt the temperature drop. He'd shivered every time a wind above the clouds touched his skin up in the sky; down below, the frostbite seemed to wear off.

"T- thanks," Thalia stammered. Newt kept flying, hovering over the snow. The farmland and prairies of Nebraska had replaced the woods a while ago, but they were still forced to slow down because, below the clouds, the falling snow constricted their vision.

Thalia started to climb down Newt's tail. "Don't," he warned. "There's a reason Newt won't land, and I don't think it's because he'd get too cold. He doesn't have any skin, so I don't think he'd be able to feel-"

"Got it. Snow's too high. I'd get trapped."

"...yeah. Hey, I'm... sorry, about before. Running away, the wampus cats. I put you all in jeopardy. It's just that... no, no excuses... uh, nevermind."

She wasn't shivering anymore. She pulled her scarf off of her mouth and took a deep breath of the biting, winter air. A smile appeared underneath her fur-lined hood. "So, Newt?"

"Oh, right." Nico smiled sheepishly back. "Thought he needed a name. It's a joke. Back in Ms. le Fay's lands, they had this exam called the N.E.W.T. because they're obsessed with naming stuff after animals. I have a stupid sense of humor, except for sarcasm."

"Not as bad as Latino hammer-boy." Nico suppressed a laugh. "I can do the weird names too." She lounged on Newt's back, supporting herself with her arms. "I still remember when you called Mr. D 'the wine dude.' And don't ask me to forget, because I _don't _forget."

Nico groaned. "I was ten!"

"And apparently you're still at it."

He looked down, embarrassed. "I didn't want to name the gods outright. Names have power."

"I'm surprised you went this long without shouting at me for being a Hunter."

"...I kind of forget that you were one."

"Thank Artemis, I've seen a miracle."

"Hey! Attitude's my thing!" Thalia laughed; it echoed throughout the frigid winter air. "How did you work things out with them?" Nico asked. Thalia knit her brows, confused. "The Hunters. I thought you hated them, and then you come back, and I find out you replaced Zoë Nightshade as their leader."

"Oh." She wiped a melted snowflake off cheeks red with cold. "I hated Zoë, because she told me Luke would betray me, and he did. I loved Luke. I didn't want to admit she was right. But we got along better during the quest, and I made my peace. I had to join for the sake of the Great Prophecy... but I'm glad I did."

Nico was taken aback. "You weren't eavesdropping on Annabeth and me before breakfast yesterday, were you?"

"No. Why?"

Nico clamped his mouth shut. It was too dry for him to speak another word. He thought no one could understand his feelings about the Wizard Genocide, but suddenly...

_Hestia, do you have something to do with this? _

"Nothing, nevermind."

"I want to talk to you about something," Thalia said.

"What is it?"

Thalia started playing nervously with the hem of her parka. But she kept her eyes trained on him. "Do you know how I met Annabeth?" she asked.

"No."

"My mom, well, she wasn't exactly... stable. And after she gave Jason to Juno, I lost it. I ran away and never looked back. Zeus guided me to Luke, and, eventually, Annabeth. The two of them helped me survive. Eventually, Grover found us and brought us to camp."

"And then you turned into a tree. I remember that when I first came to camp."

Thalia nodded. "So many monsters were chasing us that there was no way we'd all make it out alive. I made my final stand on Half-Blood Hill, ready to die for my friends. Dad turned me into a tree to save my spirit from the Underworld." She paused. For a second, her eyes were far away. "You know why I did it? I'd spent my life running from my problems, from Mom, from the monsters. I was tired of it all. I wanted to do more than run. I wanted to fix things." She smiled sadly. "I'll admit, when we first met, I didn't like you much. But I'm realizing that maybe it's because I see myself in you. Don't make my mistake. You can't give up hope. And you can't run from who you are."

Nico laughed bitterly. "I've got the Jacksons, my friends, and Will. I've never been happier. I'm fine with running."

"I went hard too, after I found out Luke went to Kronos. It's easier not to hope once everything goes wrong. It's a lot harder to fix things."

Nico laughed bitterly. "Fix things? I think that ship sailed when Bianca died." He meant to end it there, but somehow his mouth reopened and he heard himself say, "Did you and Percy really do everything you could to save Bianca? I mean, _everything _you could?"

Nico expected that to catch her off-guard too, but her face was stoic. It reminded him of her father's expression (or lack thereof) when Nico saw him on Olympus after the Second Titan War. Those stormy, electric blue eyes put Nico a little on edge. He remembered how dangerous Thalia could be if she wanted to, should she actually lose her temper. She could wreak havoc just like dear old dad.

"Bianca wouldn't listen to Percy. But he tried, Nico, and Zoë and I didn't know what was going on until she was already inside the automaton. She felt responsible for the whole thing; she wouldn't let anyone else sacrifice themselves no matter what we said or did."

"Do you think we could make peace? Not the Hunters, but you and me?"

"Don't see why not, death boy."

"How do you know that nickna- ...I am going to kill Will Solace if it's the last thing I do, I swear to the gods."

**_HERMIONE_**

Around five in the morning, Hermione officially went mad. She was drifting in and out of consciousness in a haze of exhaustion and freezing cold, debating whether the purple spots in the air were hallucinations or her imagination, when she noticed a man sitting on Tanisha's bed.

"I heard your prayers, my dear," he said.

Hermione sat up straight in her bed. Wide-eyed, not knowing what else to do, she screamed at the top of her lungs. "MUM! DAD! THERE'S SOMEONE-" she cut herself off, hand clasped over her mouth. "You're a death eater. You're here to kill me."

"I am not here to kill you, Hermione Granger."

She shrieked again. "How do you know my name?!"

The man chuckled. "I am Merlin, god of Wizards and Keeper of the Wizarding World. You sent a prayer to my wife. She is too occupied to respond, so I took the liberty of addressing it."

Hermione shook her head vigorously. "No, no, no, no, no, Greek gods don't appear to mortals unless they want a child and you're not doing that to me!"

He stood. Hermione scrambled back as far as her bed could go, then ripped the first thing she could off of the night-table. "Stay back! I'm armed!"

Merlin looked at her curiously. "That's a lamp."

"I- I'm still armed!"

With a flick of his fingers, the lamp flew from her hand and the bulb shattered on the floor. Where was her wand? Hidden in a drawer, and she couldn't see anything without her flashlight. But Harry's was on the floor next to her! Hermione scrambled back in her bed, screaming some more, holding the sheets in front of her face and cowering at the man in front of her. He advanced, reaching out to touch her, falling for her ploy. She kicked him in the nose from under the covers, tore them off, and dove behind the bed. "Come on, come on," she whispered as she felt around. Just in time, her hand closed around something wooden. She jumped from the bed and pointed it right at Merlin. "Petrificus Totalus!"

The white light stopped in mid-air, then curled up in a ball like her Hermione had cast Lumos. The spell shot into the air and divided into a million pieces, and, with it, Merlin created new constellations. In the blink of an eye, Hermione and Tanisha's bedroom ceiling resembled the Great Hall's.

Hermione got a good look of him for the first time. He was tall and chiseled with the olive skin, black hair, and dark features of an Italian. He had a short, trimmed beard, but the moment Hermione focused on it, it got hazy, like she was looking at the rising smoke at the top of a smokestack. His eyes were bright purple and so blinding that they genuinely glowed; that's what Hermione saw before in the dark.

He wore robes of a pale green background, but every inch was intricately embroidered with moving pictures telling a hundred different stories. There was Death handing the Percival brothers the Deathly Hallows, there were the four founders of Hogwarts casting their final protection spells over the castle, there was the Pureblood Unity Garrison (P.U.G.) submitting to the Statute of Secrecy in 1692, there was Dumbledore defeating Grindelwald, there was Nico di Angelo defeating Lord Voldemort, and on and on and on.

A wooden collar, made from a mixture of wand-quality woods, covered the sides and back of his neck like a three-quarter turtleneck. Curves and lines were carved in tiny but exquisite detail, each glowing the color of whatever spell the wand-motion corresponded to. He had a Roman-style headdress of woven dragon heartstring and unicorn, thestral, and veela hairs; phoenix feathers were weaved in every few inches to ornament the design. His arms had a maze of silver lines all over them, ending at his hands where pools of silver replaced fingernails. Unicorn blood.

"I thought Merlin was an old man," Hermione blurted out. Merlin was... beautiful. Mesmerizing. Harry's wand fell out of her hand and clattered on the floor. Hermione dropped to her knees, tears in her eyes, so overtaken by the presence of this man, of this raw, powerful, beautiful man.

He smiled in bored amusement. "Yes, I was an old man for a long time. But why would I stay that way for all eternity?" He reached out his hand for Hermione to take. When she did so, her hand shook so much that it was nothing but a blur. At the contact, her entire body convulsed, but Merlin kept it firmly clasped in his own. "I know how hard it is for a mortal to see a god for the first time. But you are strong. You are one of the chosen, as I once was." She stood, but her body wouldn't stop shaking. She fell forward, right into Merlin's waiting arms, in a hug so warm and pure she felt as though she was a baby in the hospital being held for the first time.

It took far too long for her to recover. She hadn't the strength to run from Merlin's arms. "You're... not going to rape me?" she asked weakly.

"No. I swear on the River Styx."

She felt Merlin direct her back to her bed and sit her down. She opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling stars with childlike wonder. "All the times I heard those stories, even after the war, I never thought... well, I..."

"You never thought we were real," Merlin finished for her. "I've heard so. Muggles think I am nothing more than a legend, and the Wizarding World thinks that my ascension to Olympus is nothing but a myth. I daresay I got hit harder than most of my fellow immortals in that regard."

She looked up at the god, stunned once again at his beauty and power. Her mind and memory couldn't do it justice. "Why appear to me? Like I said, in the myths, Greek gods only appear when they want a child."

"Roman god, my dear. Hecate and I are Roman, not Greek. There is a difference."

"But..." Hermione's brain worked in overdrive, trying to think in front of this divine presence. "Isn't Hecate's Roman form Trivia?"

Merlin chuckled. "Trivia was a goddess in her own right until she faded and Hecate absorbed her duties. No, the Greek Hekate and the Roman Hecate are now so combined that she likely cannot resume her full Greek form, not that she has ever tried. Beyond a few choice details of her appearance that she rather liked from her other body, Hekate with a 'k' is gone. The Romans always appreciated her more than the Greeks, and so she favored them; she assumed her complete Greek form for the final time the day Sparta fell. I, alas, never got to see it. And I have never bothered to make a Greek form of my own." He shook his head. "Many at Camp Jupiter call her 'Trivia' and 'Hecate' interchangeably. She stopped correcting them. The 'Netherland approach': if everyone searches for Holland, let them find Holland."

Hermione ignored the part about Holland. "You never answered my question. Why appear to me? I didn't expect a reply to my prayer, at least, not in person."

"After you helped to save countless of my wife's followers and my entire domain, I considered it rude not to reach out in person. You have our gratitude; neither of us wanted war, but when you are slighted by an enemy, honor demands vengeance." He sighed. "Hecate has a violent temper and a long memory. She goes too far when pushed too hard."

"You could say that about all the Olympians," Hermione pointed out.

"Yes, you could." Merlin held something out to her. Her wand. He hadn't moved, how had he...

_He's a god, remember. _

"Thank you, now I won't have to search in the dark."

Merlin said nothing. He waved his hand, and a swirling image, like that of a Pensive, appeared in front of them. Hermione saw a group of vaguely familiar people speaking to a young woman in a red dress accented with Fiendfyre. "There is trouble brewing again," Merlin said. "Hecate intends to declare war on Hades. A year has passed, and no Olympian has punished him for attempted genocide on her people. She is angry and vengeful."

The image shifted to a dark room adorned with precious gems. A man all in black and a teenager in a pastel, faded sundress sat on thrones and oversaw a small council arguing over a table of papers. "Hades and Persephone are preparing for the attack. Neither side will stand down."

The image shifted a third time to a vast, Greek throne room. Twelve thrones, all with individual designs, sat in a U. More than a few gods stood in groups of two or three, discussing plans with grave faces. Many hovered by a goddess tending to a hearth in the center of the room. "The council for the Solstice meets tonight, and a handful of gods have already declared a side. Many more deliberate."

He waved the image away. "My wife may have brought Hades up on charges, but everyone knows that this will be a peace treaty to end the war, not a trial to debate the past. Thoseey who win the most votes for council, and secure the most notable gods for battle, will win the trial. War will rage as facts come to light and each side convinces those on the other to switch allegiances. When the accuser is Roman and the defendant is Greek, there's no telling which form each god will take when they make their decision. Murky waters lay the foundation for messy conflict."

Hermione's eyes went wide. "You're telling me a war will start tonight?!"

Merlin nodded. "It begins already. Our allies punish those who assisted Hades last year with divine weather such as this blizzard. I advised Hecate and the council to pardon the wizards who assisted him, but it fell on deaf ears, I'm sorry to say. Hades and Persephone will not let this trial take place at sundown. They will buy themselves time. We attempt to slow the journey, but both my wife and I know it's a lost cause. Nico di Angelo will make it to Ceres, and the goddess of agriculture is loyal to her daughter, not Hecate. Persephone armed the boy with what to say, I have no doubt, and all will be lost."

"N- Nico di Angelo?" Images of the brooding, terrifying teen flashed in her mind. There he was, clear as day, standing in the doorway of the Room of Requirement with a shadowy robe, twisting staff of elder, and glowing orb fastened on top. She hadn't been able to get it out of her nightmares for weeks after the demigods left. "Do you want me to talk to him? I barely know him, and I haven't seen him since New Years Eve!"

Merlin shook his head. "I only ask that you remain vigilant. You wanted to know the truth-there it is. War is inevitable. Hades will declare it should his former son fail due to Hecate's interference. Hecate will declare it should her former general succeed due to Hades' interference. I am telling you to brace yourself and your family. Hecate turns her eye away from you now, and I must stand by her side and ready us for battle. For the next few days, things will be perilous in our lands, more so than when Riddle reigned. Prepare yourself, and do what you can to keep this world from chaos. Be my champion, and protect my domain."

"Your... champion?"

"You have greater power than you know, Hermione Granger. The goddess of divination told me you will succeed. It is up to you whether you decide to take the necessary steps to fulfill her prophecy."

He was about to apparate away when Hermione shouted, "Merlin!"

"Yes, my dear?"

"Can you cover me? About the Underage Magic law; I... think I need to-"

"Consider it done. Goodbye, and best of luck."

With a bang, the God of Wizards disappeared, and Hermione was back under the covers, sitting stark upright in her bed. Once glance to her left confirmed that Tanisha was fast asleep. She checked her phone. 4:45 AM.

She ran to Tanisha and shook her awake. "Tanisha! Wake your brothers for me, and Aunt Sadie and Uncle Tyler. Tell them all to meet me at the table right now! Okay?!"

"Oww... Hermione..." Tanisha rubbed her eyes and yawned. "What's going on?"

"It's an emergency! Please, go get them right now!"

When she saw the absolute terror in Hermione's eyes, she asked no more questions. In one minute flat, all the members of the Granger family were sitting patiently at the kitchen table, waiting for Hermione to speak.

_Please, Merlin, let this succeed. _

"Magic is real." She let the words ring through the empty house. April started to laugh like Hermione was being silly. Uncle Tyler and Aunt Sadie exchanged bewildered looks. Jeremy and Tanisha stared back blankly, convinced this was all a dream. "I'm a witch. The school I go to in Scotland is called Hogwarts and it's-"

"Hermione's a bit tired, everyone," Mum said. She stood. "Very funny, Hermione, let's all go back to bed now-"

"Stop it, Mum!" Hermione screamed. Mum went pale.

"_Hermione_!" Dad whispered right into her ear. "You're breaking wizarding law. What are you doing?"

Hermione shook her head, tears in her eye. "Dad, do you remember what I told you? The Wizard Genocide? All of it's coming back. Merlin, the God of Wizards, just spoke to me and he said we're all in danger and we have to get out!"

The color drained from Dad's face, too. "What do you need?" he asked.

"Wait, wait, wait," Aunt Sadie said. "Nina, George, what are you talking about? Is this some kind of joke?"

"The storm won't stop until we're crushed by the snow," Hermione explained. "I can get all of us to the Burrow. Merlin agreed to cover all the magic from the Ministry as a thank you for last year. The Weasleys can side-along apparate... oh no, I didn't pack any Floo Powder!" She scrambled through her overnight bag with the aid of her flashlight, but her coin purse of Floo Powder wasn't there. "No, no, no!"

"Oh my god! Mom, look!" Jeremey shouted.

The fireplace glowed green, the same green, Hermione realized, as Merlin's robes. "Thank you, Merlin!" she cried, and bolted into the fireplace, too flustered to even give a destination.

Luckily, she had a god on her side.

"Ron!" Hermione screamed the moment her feet touched the Burrow's living room. Ron wasn't there, but Mrs. Weasley and Fleur Delacour were chatting as they prepared breakfast. The morning sun rose in the sky without a hint of snow anywhere.

"Hermione?" Mrs. Weasley gasped. "I didn't expect you for another few days! Oh, look at you! How are you?"

"No time!" Hermione gasped. "Wake everyone who can apparate up. I'll explain later; my family's in danger back in New Hampshire. The fireplace is connected to my ski lodge, you can go through there, but I don't think my family will jump into the flames-"

Mrs. Weasley was already gone, making a terrific noise as she woke up her husband and sons. Fleur ran to Hermione's side and guided her to the couch. "You look so pale, 'ermione!" she said with growing concern. "Tell me what to do."

"Take the first person you see and apparate them here, please! My cousins don't know about any of this, they might resist..."

"It ees not a problem," Fleur assured her. "I will be back soon."

Fleur disappeared into the green, glowing fireplace. Ron thundered down the steps, and Hermione threw herself into his waiting arms. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she kissed him. As the Granger family filed in with members of the Weasley clan, Hermione relayed the last few days' events to Ron. Tears welled up in his eyes when she gave him Harry's belongings, but gratitude was soon replaced by a mixture of fear and determination at the end of her tale.

"Nothing can ever just die, can it?" Ron whispered bitterly. "It always has to come back to bite us in the ass."

Hermione took a gulp of air and sniffled. Her frizzy hair was falling dead in her face now, and her sleeve was wet from all the swipes on her nose, but she didn't notice any of it. She and Ron were back together to face the end of the world for the second time. Her family was safe from the snow. She had a god on her side, if only for a moment.

"The Americans promised to come back if this sort of thing happened again," Ron reassured her, "So if Merlin's right and things do go mad, we'll know what to do. Take two's always easier than take one. We'll get through whatever this is, for Harry."

"For Harry," Hermione agreed.

**END NOTES**

Shout out to all my CGP Grey fans who are the only ones who got the part about Holland.

I had a ton of fun writing Hermione's part. I think Merlin is my favorite character to write since Hecate was introduced.

Side note: if anyone's confused Morgana = Moran le Fay (Fey, Fae). BBC Merlin made up the name "Morgana" so it sounded less weird when people said it in the show. Kind of like how they shortened "Guinevere" to "Gwen."

Sources:  
/thing/timeline-of-the-wizarding-world/

This week's beta commentary:  
STORY: He had a short, trimmed beard,  
LISSY: MERLIN'S BEARD  
OLI: THE BEST BEARD

STORY: if everyone searches for Holland, let them find Holland."  
LISSY: Because what fic would be complete without a CGP Grey reference?  
STORY: Hermione ignored the part about Holland.  
SARA: Me too Hermione  
**This one made me laugh so hard I literally fell out of my desk chair and now I have a bruise on my forehead.**

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)  
Sara - Beta Reader (Tumblr icomparemyselftoyou)  
Oli - Beta Reader (Tumblr paradoxicalpsychic)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you next time!

**COMMENTS**

**ShadeFireDragon**

_I like how Leo literally made a giant shield just because of a couple's spout XD How big is it?_  
_And nuuu, the camp's in trouble! Which god is it? I jumped to Zeus, cuz ya know, wind... and stuff. Can other gods do it?_

It is a very Leo thing to do, isn't it? Pretty big, I would think.  
It is Zeus, I think Nico says that at the end of the chapter?

**The Goode Ravenclaw**

_I love the chapter! when the Hunters were one the wolves as horses, it cracked me up. I honestly got scared when I thought that Hestia was going to die for a second. I can't wait for the next chapter!_

It's one of my headcanons that the Hunters ride their wolves when they want to cover very long distances very quickly. And I'm glad I scared you, but I'm also happy Hestia didn't die because I like her a lot.


	10. The Pomegranate Strikes Back

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

Camp Half-Blood is helpless to stop Zeus's tornado. Persephone's quest takes a dark turn.  


**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: Teen and Up AudiencesContent Warning: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Self Harm, Suicide (referenced)/Suicide AttemptWord Count: 3958

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_THALIA_**

Thalia dreamed she was in the Big House basement.

_Thank the gods, Jason's all right. _

Jason sat on the floor with Calypso, Piper, Frank, Grover, and Will. Forty other campers sat around them, trying to wait out the tornado. Fluorescent lights cast a blinding, artificial glow on everyone and everything. There were no windows, but every crack, bang and thud painted a very Oz-ish picture outside.

Thalia felt guilty. She knew she shouldn't-if she felt personally responsible for every time her father lost his temper, she'd never be happy again. But her friends were trapped by a freak weather incident that shouldn't be possible in _New York_, much less Camp Half-Blood. She knew things were heating up in Olympus, but she didn't see this coming at all.

"The storm won't get any better!" Calypso argued, "Leo's out there! I won't leave him!"

"I'm with you, Calypso," Piper whispered, "but you need to calm down before you cause a panic. Leo wouldn't want that."

"We don't know what he would want because he isn't here," Calypso sniffed.

Piper rubbed her arm. "Calm down," she said, turning on the charmspeak. "We'll find Leo, I promise."

"Calypso's right," Jason said. "Dad's holding us hostage. If we stay here, we'll be safe, but the storm won't stop until he gets what he wants."

Frank answered his silent question. "It's Nico. Jupiter sided with Hecate. He hates Pluto. Everyone Nico knows is in New York. Jupiter wants him to quit so Proserpine stands down."

"I hope the Jacksons are safe," Grover said.

Thalia scanned the room for her missing friends. Besides Leo, Percy, Annabeth, Reyna, Hazel, Rachel, and Lou Ellen were missing.

"I'm going out there," Jason decided.

"What?!" Piper shot up. "Jason, you can't!"

"I don't think he'll kill me. I'm his son."

"You're also one of Nico's friends! I know you want to find them, we all do! But, chances are, they're safe in one of the cabin basements. Zeus can't keep this storm going forever."

"You want to bet our lives on that? Piper, we don't have enough food or water to last more than a day! We have to do something!"

Piper grabbed his hand. "I'm coming with you."

"Me too," Calypso said. "I won't leave Leo alone out there."

Will tried to stand, but Frank held him back. "You can't, Will. You're Nico's boyfriend. If Riddle held you hostage to get to Nico, imagine what Jupiter would do." Will shuddered. The poor kid was still traumatized. Frank hesitated, then forced himself to say, "I'll stay, too, in case something goes wrong. Keep an eye out for Hazel, for me."

Jason ripped the basement door open to a chorus of screams and deafening wind in front of him. Calypso and Piper darted out the door, and Jason slammed it shut.

Thalia woke to find Newt the Thestral standing in paradise. A small, flowing creek encircled them, making them their own personal island. The grass was mossy and green below her feet, and a large pomegranate tree provided shade above them. She put her hood down, looking in awe around her. The blizzard still raged, but the creek didn't let it pass. Her companions were already awake and on the ground.

"Where are we?" Ianthe asked.

"I don't know," Thalia admitted as she slid off Newt. "Death boy and I were on watch, but we fell asleep."

Nico groaned. "I finally get Will to stop that stupid nickname, and now you? I take back what I said. You deserved those wampus cats." The others were bewildered at Nico's sudden change in attitude. They didn't know about his promise to make peace with Thalia.

Ianthe used the tree to cast a quick tracking spell. "We're near Cheyenne."

"I would like to know what this is," Roszí mused. "Springs do not appear on their own."

Nico surveyed their surroundings. "This is nature magic. It's Persephone." He gestured to the pomegranate tree as proof of his claim. "She became the goddess of nature magic when Pan faded. She was always skilled in it, but now she's unstoppable. I think that's part of why Hecate tried to kill her last year. She told me at the _Santi Cosma e Damiano _that Persephone was one of the few gods who could match her. She didn't want a rival."

"Right again, Mr. di Angelo." They turned to find a man lounging under the pomegranate tree. He was a bald, middle-aged black man, wearing a blood-red three-piece suit, his eyes the brown of dried blood. And his eyes were fixed on Nico.

He plucked a pomegranate from the tree and opened it with a pocket knife, then used the knife as a spoon to eat it. That knife looked sharper than a demigod's sword; Thalia didn't want to think about how mangled his tongue must be getting with every lick. He offered the second half of the fruit to Nico, who recoiled on instinct.

"Have it your way, son of Hades."

Nico clenched his fists. "I'm not a son of Hades."

"So I've heard." He tossed the empty pomegranate on the ground. "It wasn't a shock, with your history. I expected it; you've been on my radar for decades. I am Alastor, Greek god of family feuds. I specialize in the sins of the father, and you are quite the case indeed. In fact, it's an honor."

Nico lunged for Alastor. Thalia held him back. "It's his aura, Nico, don't give in to it. It's what he wants."

Nico spat at his feet instead. "So, whose side are you on? Hecate's or Hades'?"

The god laughed. "If I got involved in every Olympic spat, I would be as crazy as Aeolus."

"Then what do you want from me?"

Alastor shot Nico a devilish grin. "You are some of my finest work since the Renaissance. It's not often a father's love leaves scars." Nico went pale and, for some reason, instinctively covered his arms.

"What is he talking about, Nico?" Thalia asked.

"Uhh..." He was too paralyzed to say a word. Alabaster tried to get his attention, but nothing could get his eyes away from the god before him.

"Yes, I see your scars, son of Hades," Alastor continued, "And they run deep, don't they? Your family, your friends, all taken from you by sin after sin. You must feel so powerless, as powerless as your stepmother feels each October. Of course, you could also descend... perhaps, it's the only thing you can do to escape your genes..." Nico's thumb traced his wrist. "I know how much you want to escape your father's curse. But you can't escape your family."

"Family calls to us all..." Nico said. He was hypnotized.

"Nico, snap out of it!" Alabaster screamed.

Nico didn't move. Alastor stepped towards him. The leaves of the tree cast a shadow over his face, one that shifted with every step. "No wizard will interrupt you now. You can't escape your fate."

"You can't escape your fate..." Nico echoed. He walked towards Alastor, one hand drawing his sword. The god touched the tip with a smile, wetting the tip with pomegranate juice... and Nico turned it on himself.

"No!" Alabaster dived at Nico's feet and knocked him to the ground. But Nico had one thing Alabaster didn't: a weapon. He swung at his friend, forcing the son of Hecate to roll away.

"Help me!" Alabaster cried. "He'll die if you don't!"

Alabaster pushed himself off the ground and shouted an incantation. Blinding, multi-colored light hit Alastor right in the chest, and he staggered backward. Ianthe and Roszí fired arrow after arrow at the god, which forced him to focus on her sisters instead of Nico.

Nico's sword was out again. Thalia watched in horror as he slashed one of his wrists; his body relaxed, his eyes closed, he sighed. He pulled back the other sleeve of his aviator's jacket, too distracted by the cut in his wrist to notice anything else.

Thalia wrestled him to the ground. The tip of the sword poked her leg, making a tiny incision. She cried out-it hurt worse than a cut that tiny had the right to be-but it couldn't stop her. She kicked the sword out of reach and pinned Nico down. He fought for his freedom with all his might, but it did no good.

Thalia glanced behind her. As she'd hoped, Alabaster grabbed the sword, and it disappeared.

"Arrgh!" Alastor grunted. He fell to the ground, clutching his side. Golden ichor, the blood of the gods, dripped from his wound. "I curse you, Hunter of Artemis! The war will come and wherever you step, let the bloodiest sins of the past follow! And you!" Thalia saw one last satanic smile as his eyes grazed her, then landed on Nico. "You who defied death, you will not live to see its conclusion!"

He dissolved, leaving only the puddles of golden ichor behind. Nico stopped resisting Thalia's grip. "Ianthe!" she called. Ianthe knelt beside him and the cut on Nico's wrist disappeared. "Nico? Nico!" Thalia shouted, shaking the stupid, skinny boy below her. "Gods, please wake up! Nico!" It was no use. Thalia could see his chest rise and fall, but it was erratic and shallow. He kept mumbling nonsense, rapidly switching between Ancient Greek, Latin, Italian, and English. Even though their springs wasn't above sixty degrees, his face was flushed and beaded with sweat. Thalia touched his forehead. Hot.

"It's Alastor's knife," Thalia realized. On cue, Nico's sword reappeared. "The sins of the father, father to son. That pomegranate juice was poison. That's why it hurt so much when I got cut. But that's a paper cut compared to a slit wrist."

Roszí examined Nico's sword. "She is right," she said. "There is something other than blood on this blade. Alastor was an assassin from Hecate."

"I can't heal him, Thalia," Ianthe told her. "If I don't know the poison, I don't know the antidote."

They turned to Alabaster. He shook his head. "I have no idea." He closed his eyes, trying not to let his grief show through. "This has to be a mistake. She'd never do this, she didn't like him, but she respected him. She's more honorable than-" His own ragged breath cut his sentence short. "There's no point to this quest anymore. Proserpine sent him, and now he's..." Alabaster was so distraught that he forgot to switch to her Greek name. He was usually good about remembering which form did what, but now...

"No," Roszí said. "Remember thy sister's words. You shall convince Ceres, not he. If thy mother has honor, she shall see thy suffering and heal him. We shall get thee to New Arcadia and find a way to heal thy friend."

Under normal circumstances, Thalia would've been over the moon to see Roszí act so respectfully to a man. But she swore to Percy to protect the boy now dying in her arms. They didn't have time to find the antidote with such a tight deadline. The only way Nico would heal is if Hecate sent a miracle, and Thalia suspected that wasn't going to happen. They had a choice: treat Nico, or complete Persephone's quest. And now she knew how Bianca felt at the end of her life. What was one life if it meant destroying the world?

"C'mon Newt, help me with your master." Newt lowered his head, and Thalia positioned Nico onto Newt's neck. They would have to fly high to reach the deadline, but, for the first time in her life, Thalia had no space to feel fear.

"I'm a monster..." Nico mumbled in a poisoned haze, body twitching from a torturous dream spawned by Alaster's poison.

_I'm so, so sorry, Percy. _

**_NICO_**

Bianca di Angelo lied on her bed, reading a textbook with a notebook at her side. A ten-year-old Nico stood in the doorway. "Can I come in?"

Bianca smiled and closed her book. "What's up?" She saw how red and puffy his eyes were, with dark circles underneath. She went wide-eyed and ran over to her brother, leading him into the room and shutting the door. "What's wrong, Nico?"

Nico looked around, making sure Bianca's roommate wasn't in the room. "I have something I need to tell you, Bianca."

She guided her brother to her bed, and the two sat down, side by side. "Did something happen?"

"Sort of..." Nico's voice trailed off. He looked down at his feet. "I was playing Mythomagic with Matt... we were having one of our tournaments when I realized..." Nico looked up at Bianca with fear in his eyes. "Bianca, I like him the way I'm supposed to like girls." Nico studied Bianca's expression, shifting so quickly he could barely comprehend what was going on. "Bianca?"

Bianca stared at her brother with bewilderment in her eyes. "You- you're too young to know what you want yet. It's a strong friendship you're feeling, Nico. Nothing more." She sounded like she was trying to convince herself along with Nico.

"That's all you're going to say, B?"

Bianca shuddered slightly at the nickname. "I don't know what to say! You never think it's going to be your brother, you know?"

Nico's eyes widened. "You say that like I'm some kind of problem!"

"It's ok, Nico. Everything will be alright." Bianca sat there like she expected Nico to thank her and run into her arms. But he didn't.

"I want you to understand!"

"I do understand."

Nico stood up from the bed. He felt like he'd been punched in the gut. As he left, he turned back to his sister, who watched him with tearful eyes. "I'll be in my room if you need me." His voice was cold. He slammed the door shut as Bianca called his name. He ran all the way to his room on the floor above, slammed the door again, and collapsed on the bed. He cried until an Irish boy with auburn hair and brown eyes walked in.

"Hey, Nico, Easton and I are starting a tournament, so I figured I'd grab you." Then, he realized that Nico was lying in a ball on his bed. "Whoa! What's wrong?"

Nico's eyes were even puffier than before. "Nothing, Matt. I'm not in the mood to play right now."

"This the same Nico that ended up playing with me at 2 AM. because he couldn't sleep? Come on, it'll cheer you up. For me?"

Nico gave a weak laugh. "If it means that much to you, fine. But I get to borrow Hades."

"Deal."

* * *

Nico opened the cooler in the mess hall, trying not to feel Bianca's longing gaze on his back. He was so distracted that he grabbed an energy drink instead of a water bottle, which Matt took from him before he put it on his tray. "Talk to her," he said, exasperated. "It's been a week, Nico. Whatever happened, it's over."

"You don't understand!" Nico protested. "I can't. If she still feels the same..."

"You'll never know if you don't try." Matt gave one of his champion smiles; it was so contagious that Nico had to smile too. "You know why we're best friends?"

"Because you're my roommate and we see each other every day?"

"Because you're the awesomest. I don't want mopey-dopey Nico blasting alt. rock in our room because he wants to talk to his sister. Go. I dare you."

"This isn't truth or dare. You can't do that!"

"_Triple dog _dare you."

Nico looked at Bianca, watching him with a broken expression. "If this goes wrong, you're listening to alt. rock, _and _we're watching Hercules. And I get to make all the comments I want."

Matt pretended to consider it. "Done. Now go."

Nico took his tray and walked over to Bianca's table, crowded with five twelve-year-old girls. He put his food down next to Bianca and gave her a small smile. "Wanna walk, B?"

Bianca leaped at the chance. "Yes! I'll be right back, guys."

They walked in silence into the hallway and stood off to the side, where two water fountains jutted out from the wall. They weren't alone, but they didn't need to be to have a private conversation. Bianca burst into rapid Italian.

"_Mi dispiace così tanto, Nico. _non avrei dovuto_ dire _nemmeno_ la metà _delle cose che_ ho _detto_, è solo _che_ mi hai preso di _sorpresa_... ma _senti queste cose_, e... ti prego, _non sopporto_ di _poterti parlare_... ti prego, ti prego, _perdonami_._" **[I am so sorry, Nico. I shouldn't have said half the things I did, I was just so caught up in the moment... but you hear these things, and... please, I can't stand not talking to you... please, please forgive me.]**

Nico dove to close the gap between them and hugged her as hard as he could, his head pressed against her shoulder.

"_Avevo così _paura che tu non volessi parlare_ più con me._" [I was so scared you wouldn't want to talk to me anymore.]

Bianca wrapped her arms around her brother.

"_Ti _voglio_ bene, mio piccolo angelo. Incondizionatamente. Dammi solo un _po_' di tempo per _abituarmici_; sarà _tutto_ come prima, lo _prometto_._" [I love you, my little angel. Unconditionally. Just give me a little time to get used to it; everything will be like it used to be, I promise.]

* * *

Each snowflake stung Nico's skin. After everything that happened, after everything they'd been through, Bianca was... she couldn't be... "What do you mean you're leaving?" he asked desperately.

"I joined the Hunters. I'm sorry, Nico, but Artemis said I could still see you, so it'll be-"

"Like it used to be?" he snapped. "Stop lying, Bianca. This is about what I told you."

She crossed her arms and huffed. "So what if it is? Nico, I can't accept it, and it's killing me! I can't stop these things I'm thinking any more than you can! _Maybe _I thought if I take some time away, I can get used to it without hurting you?" Bianca's voice was full of a desperate kind of sadness. Nico turned from her so she wouldn't see him cry.

"I don't want you to go."

"I really want this. And I made my decision. Give me time. Everything will be like it used to be, I promise, my little angel." She giggled. "That nickname sounds funny in English." She raised her eyebrows at Nico, but he didn't feel like laughing. She sighed. "I love you, okay? I mean it." She kissed him goodbye on the cheek, then joined her Hunters on the other side of the campsite. No one heard Nico's last words to his sister:

"Then start acting like it."

* * *

Nico curled up to sleep on his new spot on the floor of the Hermes cabin, trying to ignore the buzzing in his ears. It had been going on since sundown. He told Connor and Travis Stoll, but they didn't know what to do and swore on the River Styx that they hadn't pranked him. When he fell into an uneasy sleep, he had his first ever demigod dream.

He stood in a throne room made of black obsidian, housing two jewel-encrusted thrones. Nico looked around in awe until his eyes fell on a man right behind him. It was almost like looking in the mirror, the man had the same pale hue Nico had, the same raven-colored hair, the same deep, dark eyes. He hardly dared to hope, but maybe, just maybe...

"Father?"

The man studied every feature on Nico's face. "I had hoped that things would turn out differently. But, as always, the Fates are cruel. Hello, Nico. I am Hades."

"Hades?! Oh man, you're the coolest! You've got three-thousand attack power when your enemies strike first; it's like, a foolproof way to win the game! You're the only figurine I don't have; sometimes Matt let me borrow his when we played." Nico gave a snarky smile. "I always won when he did that."

Hades nodded solemnly. "Mythomagic?"

"Yeah! It's awesome! Even Bianca-" Nico stopped short. Talking about his sister was still painful.

"How do you like camp?" Hades asked.

"It's great," Nico replied, though his voice had lost some of its excitement. "Connor and Travis are really nice, and Percy was cool before he went off on the quest. I haven't even been made fun of, not even by the Ares kids! Connor said it's because they're afraid of him and Travis, but I'm not sure. I don't think Ares is afraid of anyone."

"Mainly because he is too stupid to fear the more powerful gods," Hades remarked.

"Am I claimed now?" Nico asked earnestly. "Can I tell Chiron-"

"No!" Nico took a step back from his father, terrified. "No one can know we've spoken or who you are. I wouldn't be here were it not for the... circumstances."

"What are you talking about?" Nico asked, annoyance creeping into his voice. He knew he should be grateful that he _had _a father, but why wouldn't that father want to acknowledge him? And where had he been all this time? Would it have been too much to ask for some help every once in a while? He and Bianca had been in tough spots so many times as orphans; couldn't a god help? Nico suddenly got very, very angry. Hades was nothing more than a deadbeat dad, showing up now because of 'circumstances.' Circumstances he wasn't even willing to share. "You know what? Nevermind. I'm fine where I am. Go back to the Underworld and leave me alone. You're good at that, aren't you?"

He knew he'd done it when Hades got a murderous look in his eyes. Purple fire crackled in his pupils. Could demigods die in dreams? Would his own father kill him? "Do you think I would let you and Bianca suffer if I could help it?!" Hades snarled.

"You're a god! You could help it just fine!"

_If I'm going to die, I might as well get my anger out. _

"If Zeus got wind of you, the two of you would be dead! I kept my distance to keep you alive, and it still failed!"

Nico knit his eyebrows together. "What do you mean it failed? Am I... dead?"

The anger in Hades' face lessened somewhat, in its place was something else: grief. "Not you." Hades voice was so quiet and controlled it scared Nico more than the anger. What did he mean not-

"No," Nico whispered. "You're lying."

"That buzzing in your ears, Nico. You can sense the death of people close to you. In time, you will learn how to strengthen your power. You can sense it now, you know she is gone."

"No!" Nico shouted at the top of his lungs. "She's alive! Percy promised! He wouldn't... he couldn't..." Nico fell to his knees; hot tears poured from his eyes, and his whole body shook. "Go away! I hate you!" he screamed, so overcome with grief and anger that he couldn't think. Percy wouldn't have failed, he promised. He was a hero.

Nico opened his eyes, his real eyes, and he was back in the Hermes cabin. He grabbed the picture of him and Bianca from under his pillow and stared at it, cheeks wet with tears. Bianca had died because she joined the Hunters. She joined the Hunters because Nico told her his secret.

"I'll fix myself," Nico vowed. "I'll never let myself be-this-again. I'm a monster. I'm a killer. I'm unnatural. I won't rest until I save you, until I fix what I did. I swear on your soul Bianca, everything will be like it used to be. I'm sorry, Bianca, I'm sorry I killed you."

**END NOTES**

SOURCES:

Theoi /Daimon/Alastor  
Paranormal Encyclopedia /a/alastor/

This week's beta commentary:  
STORY: I'm sorry, Bianca, I'm sorry I killed you."  
OLI: good god the poor bby; nico's got some angst he has to work thru  
LISSY: The Coming of Nico di Angelo: a summary

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)  
Oli - Beta Reader (Tumblr paradoxicalpsychic)  
Suhalia - Beta Reader (Archive Of Our Own users/milkandtahoney/)

**COMMENTS**

**The Goode Ravenclaw**

_I love the Thalia and Nico attitude-y/bonding thingymajic you sorta have there._  
_I really love Hermiones POV in this! it's sorta sad that one of the first things that she thought when she met a god was 'are you going to *** me?'_  
_Anyway, I really loved how Hermione... well I just love Hermione in general. oh, but the end made me tear up a little bit with the "for Harry" part. I really love this chapter!_

Thank you! I honestly think that Thalia and Nico would be friends, give it time. They're so similar.

I know it sucks, but look at Greek mythology and 75% of the time when a male god appears before a female mortal... that's what happens. Sometimes it's consentual, but many times it's not. And you know Hermione's been reading all the myths since she discovered the Greek gods were real.


	11. Embarrassed Alabaster: Just Add Water

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

Thalia and Alabaster try to save Nico. Zeus's tornado continues to wreak havoc. Cho makes a decision.  


**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: Teen and Up Audiences  
Content Warning: Cursing, Violence (mild), Sexual Imagery (mild), Torture (mentioned only)  
Word Count: 3831

I'm going to be real with you guys for a sec.

So, I didn't post last week because I was kind of thinking. While I love this story, it's getting hard for me to get into it since I'm also posting my new fic, "Shoot and Arrow Through His Heart." That's why I keep missing uploads and uploading so late. I'm fatigued, in a way.

The thing is, I've been involved in this particular universe for a while, years, long enough that I'm getting a little sick of it. It's so much easier to post one chapter a week instead of three.

So, this is what I'm going to do. I'm just going to post it all in one dump. I'll post a few chapters each day, like maybe 2-3, ending on some major plot cliffhanger or whatever, until, in like two weeks, the story's over. I'll also answer comments on the first chapter of that day. It's just something I HAVE to do or I'm not going to finish posting this story at all. I know this means I'll get a lot fewer hits on this story, and that it might overwhelm you guys enough that you'll stop reading, but it's just something I have to do for myself. I hope you understand.

Three other quick notes for this chapter:  
1\. Fanous is the Roman name for Pan.  
2\. When something is both bold and italic, it's in Ancient Greek. I don't have access to the Greek keyboard so I had to improvise.  
3\. This is one of my favorite chapters. Hands down.

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

**_THALIA_**

No one rejoiced when they saw the "Welcome to Yellowstone National Park" sign as Newt made his descent. They didn't mind that the sun was finally rising over the horizon, bathing them in its bronze glow. They didn't notice that their divine blizzard had given way to green grass and crisp, winter air.

They couldn't care less, because Nico di Angelo was dying.

Alastor's poison didn't just kill him, it made him suffer. He cried out again and again as his sickly, feverish body convulsed in spasms that got more and more frequent with every mile they flew. Each time his anguished mumbles came out in a language Thalia could understand, she filled in another piece of the puzzle that was the Ghost King. She gathered that he was having the same dreams over and over again, and that, in part, the Pact of the Big Three linked them together. The worst sin of their fathers, but, clearly, one of them suffered more from it than the others. Beyond being a pine tree for a few years, Thalia didn't see what negative impact it had on her life. Nor Percy's, except having to vaporize his pre-algebra teacher when he was twelve. No, the Pact caused lasting, permanent damage on only one.

And he was being tortured right in front of her.

"_Sarà tutto come prima_? _Stop lying, Bianca__,_ _hic est de quo_ _dixi_ _vobis_," Nico moaned.

Thankfully, he chose to stay in Latin for a while. Italian and Ancient Greek were his favorites, and when he settled on Ancient Greek, she caught every word he said. Being forced to hear his agony was so horrible that, when it happened, Thalia forgot she was up in the air for the first time in her life.

"This is Yellowstone?" Roszí gasped when Newt landed in the park.

"Yup," Ianthe replied. "What about it?"

"I know these lands. Lady Artemis guided us here when the power of the gods shifted from England. A war raged, before thy Revolution, I do not remember-"

"French and Indian War?" Alabaster suggested.

"Yes," Roszí said, dreamlike. "Lady Artemis wanted us to see true archers in valiant battle. Few in Europe chose arrows over muskets, but these natives did. After, we journeyed west to Russia. We camped here. I remember a Nereid. She is a healer. She may help..." she tried to say 'Nico' but failed. "Thy friend."

_As long as they're not arguing-wait did she say healer?! _

"Where would she be?!" Alabaster demanded. "It's only nine-thirty, we can save Nico!"

"Centuries hath passed since I met this Nereid, _boy _. She may live here no longer. Time runs short! We must not-"

"Stop, Roszí, a kid is dying," Thalia snapped. "We can spare a half-hour. Do you remember where you met this Nereid?"

"A large lake."

"Fuck, can you be more specific? There's a million lakes out here-"

Ianthe cleared her throat. She pointed to a bright blue arrow on the wooden road sign to their left.

_Duck Lake. 0.9 miles. _

Thalia pat Newt on the shoulder blade. "I know you're tired. Alabaster can carry death boy for you. Why don't you run into the hills and find yourself a nice meal? Meet us over there soon, okay?" The thestral roared in approval, then flew off towards the plains.

Alabaster took the squirming Nico in his arms. "I got you, Nico," he said, voice thick with guilt, "We've gone through worse. You'll get out of this, too."

**_PERCY_**

For the first time ever, when Percy laid down to force himself to sleep, he wanted to dream. He was on the cold, metal floor of the Ares cabin with Hazel and Rachel; all his friends were somewhere else, and he wanted to know where. He needed to know Annabeth was okay most of all. He couldn't lose her less than a week after they promised each other that they would have forever.

Luckily or unluckily, Morpheus answered his prayer.

Jason, Leo, and Piper ran through camp. Leaves and branches fell like rain around them, and every few seconds another huge branch fell off and joined the fray. More than once, a tree close to his friends was hit by lightning and fell to Earth in a fiery blaze of glory. The three of them screamed and dodged like they were running an obstacle course. The debris in the air obscured their vision so much that they kept shouting each other's names like they were playing a high-stakes game of Marco Polo.

"Look! Leo!" Calypso yelled. She ran to a smoking golf cart attached to an enormous bronze frame. It was at least twenty feet in diameter, charred, and smoking. Leo was trapped underneath, bruised, bleeding, and gasping like he couldn't breathe. They ran to his side.

"Calypso? Piper? Jason? What are you doing here?" he asked weakly between bloody coughs.

"We came to get you, you annoying- oh, Leo!" Calypso turned to the others. "Help me!"

The three of them pulled at the frame, trying to lift it off Leo. "It's too heavy!" Jason grunted. "Please, Dad, Nico won't listen to you if you let us die!"

"Push the horn," Leo instructed, his voice growing weaker by the second.

"Right!" Jason smacked himself on the head. "I'm so stupid! Piper, press the button, I'll hold the cart up, so it doesn't fall over and hit Leo. Calypso, you pull him out when the shield retracts!"

They got into position. "One, two, three!" Piper shouted over the wind, then pressed the button. Jason grunted with effort as he held the golf cart upright, despite the amount of force the tornado put on him. His arms failed him, but Calypso pulled Leo out of the way just in time. The golf cart hit the ground, right where Leo's chest used to be.

Leo fainted in Calypso's arms. "We have to get Leo back to Will!" she screamed.

The three of them ran towards the Big House in the distance, avoiding object after object being thrust in their way. Percy tried not to notice how limp Leo seemed in Calypso's arms.

Now, Blaise Zabini and Hestia Carrow stood in an alley with his mom and Paul. Cars, flipped upside down in the tornado, blocked both ways out. There was no way to escape the alley without climbing one of the car-mountains, which would be impossible in the current weather. Fierce winds whipped their grimy hair and tattered clothes. "We can't go on foot anymore, Sally," Paul said.

"I know. But they could have a concussion. How much energy do you have to apparate?"

"Paul's right," Hestia said, "We have to apparate to Camp Half-Blood. It's the only place we might be safe, and we can't get to Long Island on foot without dying."

Blaise nodded. "We took lessons at Hogwarts. We know how to do it. We have to try."

Mom pursed her lips. She clearly didn't want to risk hurting them, but one look around confirmed they had no other option. "What do we have to do?" She sounded so tired and defeated. Percy wanted to smack Zeus in his divine face for hurting his mom. She wasn't easily worn down.

"Take our hands," Blaise said. Mom and Paul did so, and the four disappeared with the sound of a car backfiring. They materialized on a Half-Blood Hill. The situation was no better for them than it was for Jason, Piper, Calypso, and Leo.

"Look out!" Paul shouted. He pulled the others to the ground, and not a moment too soon. A tree crashed right where they were standing. Percy expected them to flee, but they didn't. They cowered behind the tree, using it as a bunker of some sort.

That's when Percy heard the sound of wings flapping in the air. The thin, wrinkled, golden arms of a gargoyle reached out to his family and the followers of Hecate, teeth bared. Hestia pointed her wand at the monster. "Pertrificus to- AHHH!" Far too human-like hands stretched towards her. Four screams echoed into the night.

Then, they were suddenly silenced.

Percy woke in the Ares cabin. The storm outside raged, but he only heard the sound of his heart drumming in his chest.

**_CHO_**

_CONSPIRACY INSIDE THE MINISTRY: __  
__HOW A MINISTRY COVER-UP ENDANGERED OUR CHILDREN _

_LONDON-It has been a year-and-a-half now since the late Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore first claimed to have seen He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named return from the dead. Many ministry spokespeople have dismissed these claims as rumors and lies, saying Dumbledore has lost his senses and Potter was using the Headmaster of Hogwarts's declining mental health to gain more fame. With ample evidence to these claims in the media, much of the public has accepted this as gospel. _

_But is there more to the tale? An anonymous informant has given this reporter some information that challenges the narrative the Ministry has given. _

_What do we know? Minister Cornelius Fudge passed a series of decrees known as the Hogwarts Laws to rein in Albus Dumbledore's recent questionable decisions. Fudge appointed Dolores Umbridge, a well-known and well-respected member of the Ministry, to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts after the headmaster failed to find a replacement in time. She was exceedingly popular among the staff and students when she taught last year, eventually choosing to return to her former work in the ministry now that Dumbledore rehired Remus Lupin to take Umbridge's former position. _

_A ministry insider, however, paints a very different story. _

_Our informant alleges that the Hogwarts Laws passed were not to improve the school and rein in a man who saw the ghost of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but to increase Minister Fudge's own power. Umbridge purposefully taught the students at Hogwarts little to nothing in an attempt to keep them from resisting an increasingly harsh and powerful government. When students misbehaved, she allegedly used torture to keep them in line. Umbridge did not choose to leave Hogwarts-Dumbledore forced her to resign after such accusations came to light. _

_Where was the ministry in all this? According to our informant, the department heads not only knew of these intentions but applauded them. By all accounts, Umbridge's actions at Hogwarts came straight from Minister Fudge himself and were subsequently covered by the ministry staff and contacts at the Daily Prophet. _

_The Wizarding World must now ask itself: how much of what we know about Dumbledore's deteriorating health is true, and how much came from a ministry who planned to seize power? Did Potter and Dumbledore ever genuinely claim He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named returned from the grave? How independent is the Daily Prophet from its government? And, most importantly, what should be done to keep such events from happening again? _

This was her proof. Somehow, her dream was real. Cho realized now that You-Know-Who would be her call to arms. The official story of Harry's death-the Whomping Willow killed him during an evening out with Ron, Hermione, and the American exchange students-didn't add up. Cho knew Harry. He wouldn't be that careless, no matter what Annabeth said. And it couldn't be a coincidence that Harry died the same year _he _came back into power-he had taken Harry too. Harry and Cedric.

She had to get to the bottom of it all; she had to know how Harry died and make sure both he and Cedric had got some sort of justice. She wouldn't let them die in vain. But, doing so would make her a traitor, and she knew Fudge would do anything to hold onto power; he'd proven that already. Her call to arms, her quest, so to speak, had a terrible price, and no one should pay that ransom but her. She had to protect the few people she had left. No one else would die on her watch.

So that was that, then. She needed to find that informant and she needed to hear the truth. Marietta mentioned a protest, and that seemed like the perfect place to start. It didn't matter that everyone Cho loved lived in this house. She knew she'd never see them again. Her holiday bag from Hogwarts was already repacked. She made her decision.

Cho looked around her room with one last, sad smile. Familiar tears rolled down her cheeks. She finally got her wish to drop out of school, but it wouldn't be to stay here, at home, in the only happy place she had left.

_By the time anyone notices I'm gone, I'll be far, far away. _

**_THALIA_**

Duck Lake was a more popular destination than Thalia assumed it would be. It wasn't tourist-trap levels, but it was impossible to find somewhere secluded. Besides, they attracted attention because of their odd-looking Hunter's clothes and the boy slung over Alabaster's shoulder. Tourists were giving them weird looks.

"Under here," Roszí whispered. She pointed... to the lake.

"We have to swim in there?" Alabaster questioned. "Are you serious? It's, max, twenty degrees out and I have a seventeen-year-old in my arms. I can't swim!"

"Does thy friend mean so little to thee?" Roszí shot back with daggers in her voice. "You insisted we make this detour. Therefore, thou hast no right to moan!"

"Break it up." Thalia stepped between them. "Alabaster, give Nico to me and distract everyone while we make the plunge. Then-can you go invisible?"

"Yeah, no problem." Thalia appreciated how hard it must be for him to let go of his dying friend, but he was pretty gracious about it. He whispered, "three, two, one!" He snapped his fingers, and a fireworks display shot into the sky. Tourists oohed and ahhed as Thalia and her sisters jumped into the freezing water.

The four of them emerged in a small, underwater cavern. Thalia gulped the frigid air as she surfaced, then pulled herself onto the cave floor. Clear, flowing water lapped onto the gray stone, and jagged stalactites of the same color hung from the rocky ceiling like icicles. Alabaster and Ianthe worked some magic together to warm them before hypothermia set in. She was grateful, but she'd be more grateful if Roszí's nereid showed up.

"_I'll fix myself, I'll never let myself be-this-again_." Nico moaned. The Ancient Greek, as always, translated in her head, no matter how little Thalia wanted it to.

"There!" Ianthe called. She pointed at the water, where a greenish-gray figure swam towards the cavern. The figure surfaced and... it wasn't a nereid. It was definitely a sea nymph, though. The top half of her body looked human, but the bottom half was a mermaid's tail. Both her skin and scales were the color of algae. Her hair was pitch-black, her eyes dark brown, and her lips bright red. But, there were also algae-colored tentacles on top of her hair; in the water, it looked like snakes grew out of her head.

"Hello?" the sea nymph asked. "What are half-bloods doing in my cavern?" She pulled herself onto the rock with a grunt and started to squeeze water from her human hair.

"Dost thou remember me?" Roszí asked. "The Hunters of Artemis passed through thy lake many years ago."

"Hunters, ay?" She asked with a half-mouth smile and eyebrows raised. "Yes, I do remember a few times you took a dip. I always love a visit from Diana-where is she?"

"It is the Winter Solstice. Lady Artemis is at council."

"Ah, well, tell her Elladora says hi!" She giggled and shook her head like a dog to dry out her tentacles.

"Wait... Elladora? Like Elladora Ketteridge?" Alabaster asked. He was stunned.

Elladora studied him. "That's a name I haven't heard in centuries. You're a son of Hecate?" He nodded. "Well, then, look at your mom's fine work!" She opened her arms so Alabaster could get a better look at her naked chest. He pulled his eyes away. "Aw, come on! I'm just teasing, the whole gillyweed fiasco was what? 1673?" She giggled again. "What can I do for you, hot stuff?"

Alabaster blushed. "I thought you were a follower of Hecate."

Elladora shot him a winning smile. "Oh, a loooooong time ago. Neptune looooves your mama's mermaids. He really gets around. My mom was one of those lucky many. I grew up in the lake at Hogwarts; I loved watching all those kids go to school in those cool black cloaks! One day, Fanous saw me and fell in love. He told me he'd grant me one wish, and I asked for legs. I actually heard one of his sons wrote a story about me-don't know, haven't read it. He granted it, condition was, if I ever swam in the lake, I'd turn back into a mermaid. 'Course, when the seven years were over, Fanous got to keep me as his consort and I couldn't have that. I ran away, see, but gods don't like it when you run away. Fanous asked Hecate for a favor. When I ate some seaweed for dinner, she turned it into gillyweed. I couldn't breathe the air anymore, so I dunked my head in a bucket of what turned out to be lake water. Funny how that happens. Fanous was lovely though, but I haven't heard from him in a century or two. Huh."

She slapped her tail flirtatiously at Alabaster. "Don't worry, I can still do this:" The last drop of water left her scales, and her tail dissolved into legs. "I didn't think you were into the whole fish thing," she said as she stood up. "Now, what can I do to get a little kiss?"

"I- uh-hum..." Alabaster's eyes were darting every which way to avoid the now completely naked woman currently throwing herself at him. Elladora's giggles were starting to get annoying, but she did it anyway.

"You don't say much do you-?"

"Al... abaster. C. Torrington."

Elladora grinned. "Alabaster C. Torrington. The best men have middle names, you know."

"My friend!" Alabaster exclaimed a little too loudly in an attempt to get himself back on track. Thalia and her sisters rolled their eyes.

_Boys are real easy to distract, aren't they? _

She took off her furs and threw them to Elladora. "Here. Before you kill him."

"What? Oh! Oh, right! How rude of me!" Alabaster's face was as red as a tomato. She took a second to put the furs on, then spun around for him to see.

"How do I look, Alabaster?"

"Uh, great! Cool! Perfect!" He cleared his throat and coughed into his arm, but Thalia caught him mumbling, "She's _green, _you idiot."

"So, your friend?" Ianthe prompted. She clearly didn't have the patience for this.

"Right! Elladora, my friend was poisoned. He's- he's dying, and Roszí said you might know how to help him."

Elladora gasped as she noticed Nico squirming on the ground for the first time. "And your eyes were on _me_, Mr. Torrington!"

As Elladora ran over to her new patient, Thalia heard another cough.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"Uhhh... Elladora!" He ran to Nico's side, where Elladora was ferociously tapping any bit of Nico's exposed skin. "If there's anything you need me to do-"

"Yes, I need you to stop crowding me! I mastered potions in school and nature magic with Fanous, so if you give me some time-is that the drink of despair? Yes but why so little... oh, oh, my gods..." She opened his mouth. "Say ahhh! Good-what is his name, Alabaster?"

"Nico."

"Good, Nico! But the River Cocytus doesn't induce sleep or convulsions..."

"Wait!" Thalia cried, recalling Annabeth's stories of Tartarus. "Did you say the _River Cocytus _?!"

"One part water of Cocytus, yes," Elladora dismissed her, "and one part weakness potion, two parts draught of the living dead... someone's trying to supplement _something _all right... hmmm..." She sniffed around his neck. "There's some alihotsy, and..." more sniffing, "...murtlap? That can't be right... no, there's definitely murtlap, Jupiter only knows... oh, there's water of the Styx in here, that's why he's dying. There we go."

_Alabaster, you should get your mouth checked, because the 'close' function is broken. _

Elladora walked to a corner of the cavern, a little alcove, where she had a cauldron set up under a campfire, surrounded by thousands of different items on hundreds of shelves that stretched all the way to the stalactite roof. Alabaster followed her. "You're telling me he has water of the Cocytus, water of the Styx, drink of despair, draught of the living dead, alihotsy draught, weakness potion, and essence of murtlap in him all at the same time?!"

"Yes, you're a smart one, Alabaster, you really are. Don't worry, I used a bezoar."

"A bez-" He turned from Elladora, took a step or two, shut his eyes and ran a hand down his face, then turned back to her. "How is that even possible?! He should be dead with all that in him!"

"Isn't that the idea of a poison?" Elladora asked as she mixed another plant into her cauldron.

"Yes, but, what was Alastor trying to do to him?"

"No, not Alastor, this is Hufflepuff's work. As for what she wanted... I have a hunch but don't worry, it's impossible."

"We're half-bloods. Impossible means it's gonna happen."

Elladora took a vial of her new antidote from the cauldron and poured it down Nico's mouth. His convulsions slowed, then completely disappeared. "There you go. Now, Alabaster, I could tell you... if you kissed me."

_Aaaaand he's red again. _

Elladora didn't see, she was too busy forcing a second potion into Nico's mouth. "I know, I know, it's okay, don't worry, buddy..." She rubbed his back as he violently vomited on the stone floor. "I'll have an anti-nausea for you soon, but you gotta get it out of your system... good, Nico..."

Five potions later, Nico was ghostly, bruised, and probably exhausted, but very much alive. Alabaster, on the other hand, was the color of the pomegranate that started it all. "You'll tell me first?" Alabaster asked weakly. Elladora nodded. Thalia and her sisters turned their backs as Elladora whispered something in Alabaster's ear. A few moments of silence. Then, Alabaster started laughing hysterically. "You're- you're kidding me, right?!" He didn't sound happy. Thalia turned around; he was staring at Elladora like she was some madwoman, "What does that even mean? You just made that up... right?"

Elladora nodded her head vigorously. "I _told _you it was impossible."

"_...what's going on_?" A weak voice asked.

Alabaster's eyes darted between Elladora and Nico. He went to Nico's side and scooped him up. "Nico! I got you, let's get to Montana." Being a Roman demigod, he didn't understand what Nico was asking him in Ancient Greek, but he sure as Hades was using any excuse to get away from his little mermaid and the questionable feelings he'd inevitably have to grapple with once they returned to Newt.

Nico looked too exhausted to say anything. Or, maybe he was too weak to understand Alabaster's English. "_What did I miss_?"

"_Nothing__,_" Thalia answered, eyebrows raised at Alabaster, "_Absolutely nothing._"

**END NOTES**

Admit it. You were worried when I said this was my favorite chapter. I may enjoy torturing ya'll but even I need something light every once in a while.

This is exactly what that potion does:  
Cocytus = makes one remember their worst memories/thoughts and uncontrollably despair forever.  
Styx = puts one in immense pain and eats away at the body.  
Emerald Potion/Drink of Despair = puts one in a deep depression.  
Draught of the Living Dead = puts one in a deep coma.  
Alihosty = induces hysteria  
Weakness Potion = weakens the user and makes them more susceptible to whatever else they might be under.  
Essence of Murtlap = helps to heal scrapes, wounds, and cuts.

Aka the mixture's making him relive his worst thoughts and memories from the worst possible angle in an unwakeable sleep while he's cannibalized from the inside, all while keeping his superficial wounds from hurting him so accidental self-harm never eases his emotional trauma.

SOURCES:  
Harry Potter Wiki /Elladora_Ketteridge  
Harry Potter Wiki /Alihotsy_Draught  
Harry Potter Wiki /Draught_of_Living_Death  
Harry Potter Wiki /Emerald_Potion  
Harry Potter Wiki /Murtlap_Essence  
Harry Potter Wiki /Murtlap_Essence  
Harry Potter Wiki /Weakness_Potion

This week's beta commentary:  
STORY: She [Umbridge] was exceedingly popular among the staff and students  
OLI: LMFAOOOOOOO  
LISSY: This is known as an "alternative fact"

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)  
Oli - Beta Reader (Tumblr paradoxicalpsychic)  
Suhalia - Beta Reader (Archive Of Our Own users/milkandtahoney/)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!

**COMMENTS**

**ShadeFireDragon**

_My poor heart *sniffs* But now my fanfiction infected mind's gotten an idea in which an angsty Nico shadowtravels into Avengers Tower... I guess this is what happens when people make me sad like this lol_

Aw I'm sorry! But at least you've got a fanfic idea?


	12. Return of the Corn Plant

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

Percy saves his family. The Grangers settle into the Burrow. The questers arrive at New Arcadia.  


**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: General Audiences  
Content Warning: Violence (mild)  
Word Count: 3890

To answer your question, no I don't know why this is the second Star Wars reference in a month. I don't even like the movies that much. It just... happened.

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_PERCY_**

The Ares cabin basement was the definition of an armory. Every piece of equipment any of his children owned hung on the walls; so many items crowded the walls that Percy could only make out the blood-red paint in a few places. The metal floor hurt to sit on, but at least the Greek fire lanterns wouldn't go out no matter what happened to the power.

Percy didn't have time to appreciate the architectural design, though. He just woke from a nightmare and was ready to punch the Lord of the Sky in his stupid, immortal nose.

"Are you crazy?!" Rachel hissed. "Zeus will kill you if you step foot upstairs!"

"He's trying to kill my family! They're in that tornado trying to fight off a gargoyle! Am I supposed to sit here and do nothing?!"

Hazel was on the same page as Percy. "I'll go with you. Jupiter can't get away with this after what he did to Leo."

"Fine," Rachel said, and stood. She raised her eyebrows at Percy's bewildered stare. "For all I know, Jason, Piper, Leo, and Calypso never made it to the Big House, and all our other friends are dead. I'm not going to sit here worrying about you two too. Besides, there are ancient laws against killing the Oracle, which means Zeus can't kill you if I'm close enough to get hurt."

Percy didn't like the idea of using her as a life jacket, but his parents were out there. Two innocent followers of Hecate were out there. Annabeth was out there. "Fine. Let's go."

Rachel took both of their hands, and they climbed out. Immediately, Zeus slapped him in the face with harsh winds. "They're by the Golden Fleece!" Percy shouted. It was a miracle the others heard.

Rachel's grip tightened on his hand. Her head snapped forward and- Percy knew something happened, but it went too quickly for him to see.

"Rachel?" he shouted over the winds.

Rachel heaved. "Delphi is restless. Nico left without a prophecy, and I _know _I have one for him. It's uncomfortable, but when they come back everything will be okay. I can't give a prophecy after they complete their quest."

"Has this happened before?" Percy asked her.

"No-but-Percy, we need to get your family and get out of here! This can wait!"

She pulled them further into the storm. It was like running through molasses. They made it past the flying debris and found the Fleece violently ripping back and forth, somehow still fastened to its tree. Peleus the dragon was nowhere to be seen.

"Wait!" Percy cried. "The Fleece has healing properties, right? We can use it to save Leo!"

"I'll get it!" Hazel shouted. "Jupiter and Pluto hate each other less than Zeus and Poseidon. I have a better chance!" She braced herself, then let go of Rachel's hand and hoisted herself up into the tree. She unfastened the Fleece from its perch while dozens of objects flew at her. "I got it!" She held up her prize for all to see.

A bolt of lightning hit the tree, and it came crashing to the ground. Percy and Rachel ran to the smoking mass. The two of them ripped branch after branch apart, trying to dig Hazel out from under. "I see gold!" Rachel shouted. Percy dug where she pointed and, yes, the Fleece was there. "Hazel?! Can you hear us?!"

"M'okay! The Fleece healed me!" They pulled a bleeding Hazel out from under the tree. She'd wrapped her chest and head with the Fleece to protect her vital organs. She tried to stand, but her legs were broken. Rachel tied the Fleece around Hazel's waist like a towel, and Hazel sighed in relief. "I'm good," she reassured them.

Percy heard his mom scream. He sprinted to its source with his friends right beside him. His parents, Blaise, and Hestia cowered in front of a mangled, fallen tree as a gargoyle swiped at them again and again. The few times they had an opening, they threw rocks and shot spells, but nothing was working. All five of them were injured.

Percy drew Riptide. Hazel held him back, concentrated for a moment, then smiled. "I'm covering us with the Mist."

Percy grinned. "Hecate helped us for once."

When the gargoyle dove down again, Percy slashed its hands off. It screamed in pain, screams that increased in volume as Riptide tore it limb from limb. One last jab and the monster met its end.

"Big House! Now!" Rachel shouted. "I, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, give you permission to enter the camp!"

His parents and the followers of Hecate passed through the border. As they ran, hundreds of branches, rocks, and dead wildlife hit their arms, legs, and faces, trying to knock them down. They jumped over more than one fallen trunk, some on fire from a lightning strike. Finally, they reached the Big House porch and made their way into its crowded basement.

They opened the door. Forty campers looked up in unison, all with varying degrees of shock. "Hazel!" Frank shouted. Hazel ran into his waiting arms, sobbing in relief. Percy saw Jason, Piper, Will, and Calypso sat in the corner. Leo lay bleeding between them.

"You have to heal Hazel's legs," Percy told Will. "We can give the Fleece to Leo, but she got hurt pretty bad." Will beckoned her over. She untied the Fleece from her waist and gave it to Calypso, who threw it over Leo. Hazel shuddered as Will got to work.

Leo opened his eyes. Everyone held their breath. "I saw Lou Ellen, Grover, and Reyna run into the Hephaestus Cabin," he croaked once he was strong enough. "Last time I checked, they were alive."

Percy should've breathed a sigh of relief. His family was safe. All his friends were alive and accounted for. There was only one person missing.

Annabeth.

_NICO_

Even though it was the middle of winter, Ceres' domain was unaffected. Of course it was, since winter was the goddess's annual tantrum. Why should she harm herself? No, she only wanted to starve a few billion mortals, no big deal. He shouldn't complain, though. After running through a blizzard for sixteen hours straight, eighty degrees and a clear, blue sky were welcoming indeed.

The palace sat in the center of New Arcadia, surrounded on all sides by vast crop fields. A wide river separated the land into sections designated for different crops. Countless varieties grew in acre-wide squares. One-lane bridges connected the sections, each with a sign specifying if it was the cucumber part, the barley part, etcetera. Crops were watered by a sophisticated irrigation system stemming from the river, and fertilized by its regular flooding. Nymphs, satyrs, minor gods, and adult demigods-probably her children-were hard at work planting, maintaining, and harvesting the crops. Nico and the others walked down the long, dirt road to the palace, occasionally jumping out of the way of an incoming tractor or bulldozer.

They were in the tomato section now. It had been so long since Nico ate; it took too much willpower to resist the crops, but Ceres would know if anything was missing. He wouldn't die the way Bianca did. That would be too cruel.

It took another hour for them to reach the palace. It was ten stories high and made of clay bricks, built into a huge mountain and under the enormous waterfall that fed the river. Water mist rose from the waterfall, glazing the clay so it glistened in the sun. Beams of smooth river stones held the clay bricks in place. The roof, doors, and window shutters were made of grass woven so tightly that they looked like they could hold against an iron cannonball. It was too simple to be the stuff of nightmares, but, for Nico, it certainly was.

When Alastor poisoned him, Nico felt the pain of the Styx and the anxiety attack of alihotsy set in, then the dreamy whisper of the Draught of the Living Dead lulled him into a Cocytus-fueled trip to Tartarus. In his last moments of consciousness, he assumed he'd die, right then, right there, like he knew he would from the beginning.

But here he was, at the door of the palace, frozen in fear in front of a woven grass door. "Okay, let's go," he squeaked to his questmates. His feet turned to lead with each step closer to his demise.

They walked into a crowded reception hall. Nico caught Thalia's eye, silently asking what their next step should be. Persephone may have requested Nico to go on this quest, but Thalia came out as the de facto leader. Yesterday, he would've resented her for it. But Thalia was different than the other Hunters. She was hot-headed and arrogant, but also tough and courageous. He'd come to respect her and the tight ship she ran. It didn't matter that he was a boy, as long as he kept his temper under control and didn't get in her way, they were cool.

"Why don't we try the front?" Thalia offered.

"Is that such a good idea?" Ianthe asked. "We're traveling with a son of an enemy. I don't think Ceres will give us an easy time."

"Ex. Son." Nico corrected through gritted teeth. "How many times do I have to tell you-"

"We can get ourselves out of a fight," Thalia reasoned, cutting him off. She shot him a warning glance. "Ianthe, I get what you're saying, but let's try the front door. Her daughter sent us. Ceres might want to hear what we have to say."

"I agree with Ianthe," Alabaster said. Ianthe looked scandalized. "Why don't Nico and I go in alone? If something goes wrong, we'll have you three as back-up."

If anyone had a better idea, they didn't speak up. So, the two of them went to the receptionist, a Native American woman in her forties with a pixie cut and a grass green dress. "Hello, how may I help you?" she chirped.

"We'd like to speak to Ceres," Alabaster replied. "Proserpine send us."

The woman hit a few buttons on her computer. "Ah, Nico di Angelo, I presume?" She folded her computer into tablet mode and stood from the desk. "I'm Dea Dia, Roman goddess of fertility and Lady Ceres' personal assistant. It would be my honor to show you around the palace."

"Ma'am we don't have time-" Dea Dia waved Alabaster's complaint away.

Another woman stepped behind the table. Dea Dia started down a hallway made of windows, her heels clicking with each step. "Come along!"

They reluctantly followed her into the first room. Huge machines groaned and whistled, connected by a network of pipes hooked up to the river. "As you can see, we have a state-of-the-art filtration system. I'm sure you saw our irrigation and flooding networks on your way here. This is where that water comes from. We take from the river, clean it, then transport it to the dam on the roof. The dam provides us with electricity and lets us control the the river. Here at New Arcadia, we pride ourselves on the freshest of crops, and you can't grow anything without pitch-perfect soil!"

They turned the corner. Now forklifts drove behind a glass window, transporting stacks of crates down a tunnel. "The basement holds our distillery. The tastiest liquor you will ever drink, made from the finest of ingredients! All home grown, you know. While we specialize in grain-based drinks such as beer and whiskey, Olympus asked us to produce wine until Bacchus's ban ran out. New Arcadia gladly stepped up to the challenge."

It went on like that for some time. Dea Dia showed them compost piles, washing stations, manufacturing conveyor belts, the juicing room. Nico checked his iPod: 4:02 PM. They only had until 4:28. "Ma'am!" Nico yelled, cutting Dea Dia off. "Believe me, my life would be nothing without carrot juice, but Ceres is going to go to Olympus in twenty minutes. We have to speak with her before sundown!"

Dea Dia stopped walking. Her back was to them, but Nico saw her tighten her grip on her tablet. "Right this way."

It took five minutes they didn't have to get to the throne room, all while Dea Dia stalled. "We usually focus on grains in the winter since Karpophoroi join together in the spring. Things do go quite faster when Despoina Proserpine is here to help us." Dea Dia giggled. "I suppose we must call her Despoina _Fanous _Proserpine now. Such a loss, when Fanous faded, but there was no greater goddess to absorb his duties." They stopped before a door towering three-stories high. "Ah, here we are. Go on in, Lady Ceres is expecting you."

**_RON_**

Ron and his siblings spent the entire day converting their attic into a makeshift apartment for Hermione and her family. It was hard work, especially for him and Ginny since they couldn't use magic, but the place turned out decent enough. Percy earned Ron's begrudging respect by transfiguring some of their junk into four queen-sized mattresses for the eight Grangers to share. It was complex magic; he forgot how good his... ugh, brother was at that sort of thing.

They used some old Hogwarts trunks to store their clothes. Despite Mum's protests that a guest shouldn't work, Fleur insisted on traveling back to the ski lodge to collect the Granger's belongings. She wanted to go to their houses too, but Merlin had only connected the ski lodge to the Floo Network, and it was too risky to apparate into predominantly muggle neighborhoods.

After a meal, wash, and fresh clothes, the Grangers were in much better shape. Hermione's extended family was still in shock about the existence of wizards, but they were grateful for the hospitality.

Ron felt sorry for Hermione at dinner. When all eighteen occupants of the Weasley household were finally together, the storm became a key topic of conversation. She was bombarded with questions she couldn't answer without revealing the Greek gods' existence. And _that _was a conversation neither of them wanted to have.

"How did you know the snow was enchanted, Hermione?" Percy asked over Mum's best potato stew.

"Oh! Er... I read about the way some Death Eaters targeted Muggles when You-Know-Who was in power, and the storm had all the hallmarks."

"I'm with my daughter on this one," Mrs. Granger said. "Scientists are baffled with the weather. I should've guessed it was magic, but that isn't usually the first thing that crosses my mind."

"Magic..." Tanisha mumbled. Ron's heart went out to her

"D'you think Death Eaters did it?" Bill asked.

"I have no idea," Hermione admitted. "I put it together when, erm, my friend Annabeth-the exchange student, from King's Cross?-warned me. She said... that the same thing happened to her in New York, and she didn't want me getting hurt."

" 'ow did she know zat you were in New 'ampshire?" Fleur asked.

"I ran into her at JFK. Nico's friends Blaise and Hestia were on my flight, and she went to pick them up. We left Hogwarts together. That's how I got Harry's belongings, Annabeth gave them to me. They ended up with Nico after the... incident."

Hermione's aunt stood. "Well, I'm stuffed. Thank you, Mrs. Weasley, for your hospitality. I think I'll turn in. It's been an ordeal." Ron thanked the gods-dinner was over.

Percy followed Hermione and he back to his room after they finished dinner. "You don't think Death Eaters caused the storm, do you, Hermione?"

"She doesn't know!" Ron snapped. "I thought you left all that You-Know-Who stuff behind when you came home!"

"I forgave you for going against common sense, and realized I was an idiot for making rumors come between us, but you have to be deluded to think-"

"Why are you obsessed with You-Know-Who?!" Ron shouted. "Don't you see all that talk ruined our lives?! Could you stop your power grab for one minute and look at what you're doing?! You're a selfish git, and you're lucky Mum and Dad forgave you, but the rest of us can't! Now get lost! I want time with my girlfriend without you breathing down our necks!"

Percy was red in the face. "You sound like those idiots organizing that protest tomorrow!"

"She tortured Harry. We both saw it with our own eyes." Ron and Percy turned to Hermione. Neither Ron nor Percy had expected her to say anything, but there she was, as serious as Ron had ever seen her. "We _are _going to that protest, for him. Right Ron?"

"She..." Percy turned stark white. Hermione had given him his much needed wake-up call.

"I'm with you, Hermione," Ron declared.

He could hardly believe it when Percy said, "Me too."

**_NICO_**

Ceres' throne room was small and cozy compared to Hades'. Three thrones sat on a clay platform in the center of the room: the one on the left was made of woven wheat stalks, like a straw hat, the one on the right was wooden, with flowers blooming on its surface and fruit clinging to its sides, and in the center was the largest throne, made of soil and tangled roots, so it looked like it grew out of the ground. Behind them, windows showed the fields, and the setting sun cast the thrones in an orange halo. A sundial kept time in the center of the room. A woven grass carpet separated their feet from the dirt floor.

Ceres sat on the root throne, and an old man sat in the straw one. The wooden throne, Persephone's throne, was empty.

Ceres was a stern woman in her late fifties. She had the same tanned skin as Persephone, but brown eyes, not glowing hazel. Her brown hair had some grey in it; it was held off her shoulders by a Roman headdress made of woven grass. She wore a dress the color of golden wheat and a belt of more woven grass. On her feet were moccasins, sprouting with roots. Criss-crossing strands of yet more woven grass lined her arms and legs like really long bracelets. On her finger was a ring made of clay, glazed a million colors, so it looked tye-dyed.

"My husband, Triptolemus. He sheltered me in his home as I looked for my beloved Proserpine," Ceres said, motioning to the man on her left: your typical farmer with curly black hair, straw hat, and suntanned skin. He wore jeans and denim shirt. He had a kinder face than his wife's, but that wasn't exactly hard.

"I know," Nico growled. "We've met."

Ceres raised her eyebrows at her husband. "I turned him into a corn plant," he said.

"Then why is he still here?"

"I turned him back."

Alabaster whispered to Nico, "Why do nature gods like turning you into plants?"

"If I knew, it wouldn't happen anymore."

Triptolemus whistled. A flash of brown made Nico and Alabaster duck. "Say hello, Picus," Triptolemus said to a woodpecker perched on his shoulder. Picus chirped. "The Roman god of crops. That is, until Circe turned him into a woodpecker for all eternity."

"Kore will break the spell," Ceres snapped, "_ Fanous _Proserpine, you know. Couldn't be more proud."

"Kore?" Alabaster asked.

"Another name for Persephone," Triptolemus explained. "Kore, the vegetation goddess. Persephone becomes Kore when she ascends from the Underworld."

"Trapped in the darkness!" Ceres wailed. "That good-for-nothing god stole my daughter, stole her name! Proserpine, Queen of the Underworld they call her! Kore is mine!"

"Ignore her," Triptolemus advised. "She's always tense during the winter harvest. Most difficult without Karpophoroi together."

Alabaster furrowed his eyebrows. "Karpophoroi? Dea Dia used that word too."

"A Roman demigod?" Triptolemus deduced. "The name Arcadia gave its patron goddesses. Demeter and Persephone, the bringers of fruit!"

"Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, Despoina, Karpophoroi, Pan, Fanous, Kore... how many names does Proserpine have?" Alabaster asked.

"That's what happens when a monster kidnaps you!" Ceres snarled. "My daughter is stretched thin because of him! Always pale and exhausted with so much to do! She should be here, with me, in New Arcadia, ripening the orchards!" She slammed her fists on the arms of her throne and shot up, glaring at Nico. "And YOU! Sent here on your father's orders! You tell Pluto and every ghost in that disgusting land that no, I will NOT stop this trial!"

Triptolemus took her arm and guided her to sit back down. "This stress is no good for your heart, remember what Apollo said."

Ceres' eyes never left Nico. "A mother would do anything to protect her child. Of course, you wouldn't know that."

Alabaster held Nico back from pummeling the goddess. "Let me do the talking." Nico huffed. "Lady Ceres, Proserpine sent us, not Pluto," Alabaster said.

Ceres rolled her eyes. "Of course you would say that. Why would Proserpine want me to stop?"

Nico couldn't help but butt in. "She doesn't want you to stop! These were her exact words: 'I want you to travel to Ceres' palace and convince her to _delay _the trial!"

"That sounds like Persephone," Triptolemus mused. "And Picus hasn't attacked, which means he speaks the truth."

"Yes, yes." Ceres checked the sundial. "You have ten minutes before I return to Olympus. Delaying the trial will also help Pluto. Tell me, why should I help the god who kidnapped my daughter?"

"My mother needs you since she can't speak to the council against a major god," Alabaster explained. "You're the one accusing Hades, not her, meaning you'll bear all the blame. Proserpine is Queen of the Underworld, no matter what you think about that. She's infused with her domain, compelled to act righteous and fair. She wants to save you from dishonor. You will prevail because you have a strong case. Give Hades time to make his. When you beat him fair-and-square, you'll have your daughter back without ruining your reputation. You're a Roman goddess. Honor is everything to Rome."

Nico glanced down at his iPod. Thirty seconds... twenty... ten...

"She's right, of course, my beloved Proserpine. I will delay the trial until January first."

_That was too easy... almost like she was always going to do it. _

"Al! It's a trap!"

Nico was too late. A dozen gods ran into the throne room, surrounded Nico, and grabbed him before he had any time to react. As he was manhandled, he caught a glimpse of Dea Dia's smile from the doorway. She winked at Nico, then turned on her heel and walked off.

Ceres transformed into Demeter, with her green eyes, golden sundress, blonde hair, and wheat headband. She smiled at the struggling Nico, watching Alabaster with sadistic glee as he tried to fight his way into the crowd and save his friend. "Until I return, Alabaster, you'll stay as my honored guest. As for that one... let's see how _Hades _likes losing a child."

Nico fought and kicked, but it was too many against one. He was carried out of the throne room and down twisting hallways, too far for Alabaster to possibly find, much less follow. He struggled harder, but it was no use. His attackers threw him straight into the stone wall of a dungeon cell and locked it shut.

For the second time that day, Nico fell unconscious.

**END NOTES**

That is a legitimate question, Alabaster. Nico was canonically turned into a plant by two different gods. You'd think at this point he would invest in some pesticides to ward off potential garden gods. (Also Persephone has more names than just those why does she have so many?!)

Technically Picus only specialized in crops and was a fertility god (so the god of ripening crops, basically) but I have a 4,000 word limit and this one's almost 4,000. So, I simplified.

SOURCES:  
thaliatook  
Wikipedia /wiki/Dea_Dia  
Wikipedia wiki/Persephone#Titles_and_functions  
God Checker /PICUS

No beta commentary this chapter :/ I couldn't find one that didn't have spoilers.

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)  
Oli - Beta Reader (Tumblr paradoxicalpsychic)  
Suhalia - Beta Reader (Archive Of Our Own users/milkandtahoney/)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!


	13. The Romans Have Very Specific Gods

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

The Hunters rescue Nico and Alabaster. Cho finds a friend.  


**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: General Audiences  
Content Warning: Graphic Depictions of Violence  
Word Count: 3919

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_NICO_**

Nico stood on the streets of Venice on a dark, starless night. Mamma walked briskly, shivering despite her heavy coat, gloves, and hat. But her hat wasn't the usual black netted one, it was thicker and concealed part of her face like a hood would. She wore all black. Her shoes made no sound. That was odd; she always wore heels, and she rarely wore all black. "Every darkness has some light," she would say.

The only time she wore all black was when she was in mourning. She died the same day as Nonno. Nico remembered she'd gotten a phone call that day, one that hurt her; he put two and two together last year, when he discovered how Nonno died. Mamma was killed in black without light, mourning her father. But the woman on the street had no one to mourn. So why did she wear black now?

"Maria di Angelo?" Nico recognized the voice. Hades.

Mamma jumped. "_Chi è la_?" [Who's there?]

Hades stepped out from the alleyway. He wore an apologetic smile. "I apologize for scaring you. I assumed you could see me."

Mamma laughed nervously, clutching her heart. "In this night?"

"I am used to darkness. I forget not everyone is."

Mamma took another moment to recover. She blushed. "What are you doing in _Venezia_? You said at the banquet that you worked for the Americans. And where have you come from?"

Hades raised his eyebrows. "I am here for the same reason you are."

"I live here, Mr. Hades. You do not."

"It was an honor, meeting you in person, Miss di Angelo. I work with your friends and have read many of your letters. I recognized you tonight and thought I could escort you home."

No one could misinterpret what Hades meant-he knew she was a spy. Mamma's eyes narrowed. "I should report you, Mr. Hades. You accuse me of betraying my country! I know Il Duce personally, and he has no mercy for people who hurt his friends."

Hades leaned over and whispered something in Mamma's ear. Under his coat, he showed her a piece of paper. Her anger melted away. She looked him in the eye, conflicted, unsure if she could trust him. "And that's why you were... _kind _to me in Washington?" He nodded. She blushed. A charming smile lit up her face. "I would like your company," she conceded. She took Hades' arm, and they continued down the silent street.

His dream changed. Nico stood in the _Santi Cosma e Damiano_. Hecate slammed her fists on the altar and screamed.

Merlin stood a few feet away from his raging wife. He looked a little nervous. Nico didn't blame him. Hecate was one powerful (and scary) goddess. "We knew this would happen, my darling."

"Ceres betrayed us, Merlin!" she shouted. "How dare she move the trial! Hades will worm his way out of punishment, and _that goddess _will face no punishment for her crimes against my children!"

"The odds are stacked in our favor," Merlin reassured her. "Hades may know trials, but I know battle. We will win the war and gain ourselves allies before Persephone can rig it in her favor. Do not fault Ceres. She is another vote against Hades, and does us a great favor."

Hecate took a few deep breaths. "You're right, of course. But Hades will pay with more than the loss of a son he hates. Tell Salazar to take the magic from thestrals. Nico di Angelo will have to find another way home."

"That will incite war, Hecate. Hades may hate the boy, but taking any son, even one disowned, is a slight on his honor. Destroying his only gift to you and your lands will be too much for him to take."

"I'm aware of that. I will not wait for him to strike. We will strike first. I still have residence in the outskirts of Erebos. I will speak to Melinoe, tell her to recall the ghosts. Hazel Levesque may be too human for her to have full control of the girl, but when Thanatos does not come for her, Hades is a hypocrite, and I have another avenue against him."

"Is that wise? Melinoe may not want to take sides against her mother."

Hecate scoffed. "Proserpine and Melinoe hate each other as much as Juno and Vulcan. She will be glad to assist me."

Merlin nodded. "The Founders will serve as a war council until better arrangements can be made." When Hecate gave him the okay, Merlin left the altar. In a blinding flash of light, Hecate disappeared.

His dream changed again. Nico stood in Hades' throne room. Persephone sat in her throne, nervously tapping her fingers on the armrest. The three Furies swooped in and bowed before their queen. "Well?" Persephone prompted them.

"Ceres moved the trial to January 1st," Alecto said.

Persephone breathed a sigh of relief. "Hecate didn't take it well, did she?"

"No, my Queen. She recalled the ghosts, and thestrals are now nothing more than piles of bones. Ceres captured Nico di Angelo and holds him hostage as a bargaining chip for Lord Hades."

Persephone's fist clenched. She lounged on the throne, running through her options. "This is a slight on my Lord's honor that we cannot forgive. If the Titan wants war, we'll give it to her. Collect the ancient monsters of Erebos per Hades' instructions. And send Thanatos to me, immediately. Macaria may cover his duties until further notice."

The Furies bowed again, then flew away with a flap of their wings.

Nico woke, greeted by a splitting headache.

_Great. A concussion. Just what I needed. _

His cell was clay on three sides, and a door of woven grass locked from the outside. He ran to the door and pushed with all his might, but the grass refused to budge. The guards had taken his sword and Leo's shield from him, so that was a no go. Without any other option, he sat on the floor, trying to think, but his migraine made that impossible.

He took off his aviator's jacket and dug through the pockets, looking for an Advil or Tylenol to dry swallow. Nothing, only some ambrosia from his cutting days he could no longer eat, and- wait-

Nico glanced through the tiny holes in the woven grass door to see if anyone was coming. He saw a few people talking farther down the hallway, but they were out of eyesight and earshot. Nico pulled his jacket as far as possible from the door, then took out the two-way mirror Blaise and Hestia gave him at the holiday party.

As soon as he pointed it towards himself, the image lit up. When the sound came on, ear-splitting cheers greeted him. He muffled the mirror under his jacket and prayed to Olympus his guards hadn't heard. After the cheers calmed down, he took the mirror out again. "Blaise! Hestia!" he whispered.

A hand pulled the mirror out of a pocket. "Nico?!" Blaise asked.

"Shhh! I need you to I.M. Thalia! Tell her Ceres threw me in a cell, and Al's somewhere around here too, as her 'guest.' Newt's dead, so we need another way back to camp, one as fast as possible. You got that?"

"Got it. Hold on, Nico. Help's on the way."

**_CHO_**

Cho's room at the Leaky Cauldron was small but quaint. And she hated it. Alone with her thoughts again, Time tortured her as it had at Hogwarts. Cho needed Sora's laugh, Papa's hug, Mama's warm smile. But as much as she longed for it, her resolve never waned. She had a mission, one to make Harry and Cedric's deaths mean something. She had to find that informant and get the truth about You-Know-Who from them. When she exposed it to the world, Cornelius Fudge would come after her-she had to keep her family safe.

She'd memorized the Wizarding Weekly article now. On her desk sat every name she could think of that may be the informant. The most likely answer was a former at Hogwarts, or the sibling of one-how else would they know about Umbridge's torture? Perhaps a friend of Harry's? A few of the seventh year D.A. members went to the Ministry once they graduated, so maybe she could reach out to them? No, she didn't know any of them that well; why would someone doing something so dangerous reveal everything to a practical stranger?

The plan was to attend the protest tomorrow morning and ask around for friendly faces. She was quite popular at Hogwarts, so she knew almost every student there. Chatting up Ministry staff would also be helpful. She'd practiced conversation after conversation, training herself how to drop You-Know-Who into the interaction so she could judge reactions. It wasn't a perfect plan, but it was the best Cho could come up with.

It was past eight o'clock now, and Cho hadn't eaten any dinner. She grabbed some galleons from her stash and made a mental note to run to Gringotts tomorrow after the protest. She had a pretty decent emergency fund saved up, and her leftover Hogsmeade money wouldn't last more than a week, tops.

Two hours later, Cho sat on a barstool, picking at her leftover chips in a zombie-like fashion, when a woman's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"What was that?" Cho asked. She turned to find a young woman, only a few years older than she, smiling from the stool beside her.

"I said is everything all right? You seem in a bit of a fog."

Cho blushed. "Oh... it's nothing. I'm..." her voice trailed off.

"Thinking about the protest tomorrow?" the woman said with a knowing grin. "It's on everyone's mind, isn't it? I've never heard of something like this happening before in the Wizarding World. It's so new, especially to people who've lived here their entire lives."

"I didn't think of that, but you're right. My mum's a muggle, so I guess I can't relate."

The woman laughed. "I'm muggle-born, but my fiancée's had no experience with the muggle world, and she was... shocked isn't the right word. It took me forever to explain to her what 'peaceful protest' meant. I'm assuming muggle-borns organized the whole ordeal."

Cho laughed. It had been a long time since she felt this comfortable with a stranger. "I'm sure that's it."

"I know the protest's important," the woman continued, "but I was supposed to get married tomorrow at the Rosa Lee Teabag, but since it's so close to the Daily Prophet's headquarters, we had to cancel. My whole family is in, and some of them spent a fortune." She rolled her eyes and shot Cho a teasing, exasperated look. "Nothing's ever easy with family, is it?"

Cho fought back a sob. This was all dangerously close to Cedric, Harry, and home. "Yeah," she pushed past the lump in her throat. "I should get some rest, but thanks for talking to me." She pushed her leftover chips to Tom's side of the bar, threw a few galleons with it, and ran off to be by herself when the tears came pouring out.

_No, family's never easy, but finding your place is harder. Be careful with a wedding. Sometimes you can't recover from a broken heart. _

_THALIA_

Thalia, Roszí, and Ianthe were hiding in the apple orchard. The orchards were the only deserted area of New Arcadia, probably because Persephone wasn't around.

Iris must be on her side today. Seconds after Percy gave them the good news-the tornado was gone, and everyone was okay-and the bad news-Annabeth was M.I.A. and Nico and Alabaster were prisoners-she got an Iris Message from the separated Hunters. The sun was almost gone now, and they were all waiting for news about the trial.

So, it was helpful that Yasmina's Iris Message wasn't Yasmina, but Lady Artemis.

"My lady!" Ianthe cried. "I thought the meeting ran until the stars shine!"

"They do shine in New York. You are in a different timezone, remember." Lady Artemis smiled warmly at her young Hunter. "You have succeeded. The trial is delayed until the New Year. War has not been averted, but the end of the world will not come today."

Lady Artemis's good mood dissolved when Thalia passed on Nico's message. When she finished, Lady Artemis turned away from them. "Yasmina! Begin your assault on the emposai! I have to depart for New Arcadia." She faced her three shocked Hunters again. "Break the boys out of their prison. I will meet you on the border with my chariot to escort you to Camp Half-Blood."

"My lady, you don't-"

"I need to speak with Dionysus and Hestia. It is no burden on me. Now, go! Quickly!"

Thalia, Roszí, and Ianthe made their way back to the wheat fields, where numerous half-bloods, nymphs, and satyrs worked. It wasn't hard to find a nymph with a load a little too full and offer to carry some. The three of them snuck their way into the palace with ease, following the crowd so it looked like they knew where they were going. As they approached a barn, twelve gods stood in a line, barking out orders.

"C3, all wheat goes to C3!"

"All barley goes to C5!"

"Remember, each bushel must be taken to the washing station in the processing wing on the third floor!"

"Plows-

"Can be found-"

"At A2!"

Thalia watched the last three gods glare at each other. It reminded her of Roszí, Ianthe, and Nico. She made a mental note of it. If she could use those gods... they obviously knew the palace pretty well...

"Track me," Thalia whispered. "I'll get the location of Nico and Alabaster from them. Ianthe, you grab Nico, and, Roszí, you do Alabaster. I'll figure out where they put Nico's sword and shield. We'll meet by Lady Artemis's chariot." Roszí and Ianthe nodded and slipped out of sight. Once the coast was clear, Thalia walked up to the gods with her best smile. "Hi! My name is Thalia, I'm new here. Can you show me where the washing station is?"

"Certainly!" all twelve of them said together.

"We are the-"

"-twelve gods of the harvest!"

"Conditor, he who stores the grain!"

"Convector, he who carries the grain!"

"Messor, he who reaps!"

"Imporcitor, he who plows with a wide furrow!"

"Thank you, but I don't-"

"Insitor, he who plants seeds!"

"Obarator, he who traces the first plowing!"

"Occator, he who harrows!"

"Promitor, he who distributes the grain!"

"Yes, this is all very interesting, but-"

"Reparator, he who prepares the earth!"

"Serritor, he who digs!"

"Subruncinator, he who weeds!"

"Vervactor, he who plows!"

"Great!" Thalia said through gritted teeth. "Can you show me around now?"

She followed the twelve gods into the palace. They walked in unison, like foosball men spinning together on metal poles. Once Dea Dia and her reception desk was out of sight, she spoke.

"I heard a son of Pluto passed through here. But I'm sure that's just a rumor."

"No-"

"-he spoke to Lady Ceres!"

"Oh." Thalia did her best to sound afraid. "That's so scary! Didn't Pluto take-"

"Despoina Proserpine?"

"Yes!"

Thalia gasped. "How could Lady Ceres speak to him?!"

"Despoina Proserpine sent him!"

"But don't worry-"

"-we locked him up!"

Thalia sighed in fake relief. "I didn't even know we had a place to do that."

"We do!"

"In the prison wing!"

"Basement-"

"-next to the bathrooms!"

A shadow scurried away.

_One down, one to go. _

"A son of Hecate-"

"-went with him!"

"He is in the cells-"

"-but the nice ones!"

_That was easy. _

A second shadow scurried away.

_Now, to get out of here. _

"I have a question," Thalia said. "So-" She did her best to remember the names of the three bickering gods. "Um, I remember... Imporcitor! Obarator! And... Vervactor! You guys all said that you were plowing gods, right? Why are there three plowing gods?"

They stopped walking. She knew she'd gotten the root of their bickering right when nine gods exchanged worried looks. Three gods gleefully answered Thalia at the same time, with the same response:

"Because I'm the most important!"

In unison, nine gods smacked themselves on the forehead. The other three turned to each other, shouting the same thing:

"No, you're not! I am! I'm the best plowing god!"

Her plan worked. With the gods distracted, she slipped away and followed the signs down to the prison wing. When she arrived, there were four arrows:

_Cells _  
_Nice Cells _  
_Bathroom __  
_Weapons Closet

Thalia followed the sign to the weapons. It was a tiny broom closet. Rather than coats, weapons hung off the rod, each with a detachable, plastic hook. Thalia started shuffling through the mess of celestial bronze and imperial gold, when-

"The son of Hades will not receive his sword, Hunter."

Thalia spun around, an arrow already in her bow. She fired in an instant, hitting whoever that was in the heart. Golden ichor poured from her wound.

_Dea Dia. _

"You didn't think we left our most precious bargaining chip undefended, did you?" she asked in clipped tones. Thalia notched another arrow and shot her in her stupid mouth. Dea Dia laughed despite the ichor falling from her lips. She whistled. "Get her, Lord Picus."

Something hit Thalia's cheek like a bullet. A flash of brown appeared in front of her and looked for another opening. Thalia drew her knife and swiped, but the woodpecker was too fast. As she dodged Picus, Dea Dia pulled out a scythe, Demeter's scythe, and entered the fray. Thalia caught it with her knife just in time, then pushed her back with a kick to the stomach. Picus rammed his beak into Thalia's stomach, sending her spiraling backward. She grit her teeth. The little bird had a bite in him.

"You sent the blizzard, didn't you?!" Thalia shouted. "You've been trying to stall us the entire time! You've been whispering in Ceres' ear, trying to convince her to go against her daughter! You're working for Hecate!"

Dea Dia laughed again as she swiped with her scythe. Thalia side-stepped, narrowly missing the blade inches from her neck. Without time to notch another arrow, she stepped out of range of the scythe and threw her hunting knife at the goddess's forehead. Now Dea Dia had three fatal wounds, but her strength remained.

"Do you know what this is, daughter of Zeus?" the goddess crooned, holding up her scythe as Picus kept Thalia occupied. "Ceres entrusts her symbol of power to me, her most trusted assistant, when she returns to Olympus. It is the first weapon, created by Gaea. This scythe slew Ouranos and Kronos alike. It is used for cutting wheat now, but it still packs a punch far greater than any other blade."

Now without a knife, Thalia held Aegis against her attacker. She dodged blow after blow, hoping to tire her out before her knife reappeared at her side, but it wasn't working. The scythe latched onto her shield and, before she could stop it, Aegis was ripped from her hands and clamored to the floor.

Picus struck her in the knee and Thalia lurched forward. Dea Dia landed her first blow-she hit Thalia square in the chest with the back of the scythe. The blade hurt worse than Alastor's had. She crumpled to the floor, praying for a miracle. This was how she would die. At the hands of a low-level garden goddess.

For once, the gods answered her prayers. The ground split open below her feet. Two skeletal warriors pulled themselves from the fissure and pinned Dea Dia to the floor. Picus flew to his mistress's side and pecked at the bones, but he couldn't kill what was already dead. Thalia stood with her bow and shot at her, helped along by a second set of arrows a few feet to her left.

"I asked for snow," Dea Dia snarled, "But I did not send the blizzard."

Before Thalia could ask what that meant, Dea Dia disappeared in a blinding flash of light, leaving behind nothing more than the smell of freshly cut grass. Picus chirped, more threatening than a woodpecker had the right to be, and flew away, back to Triptolemus. The skeletal warriors melted back into the earth. She took Nico's hand and stood up. "Thanks, death boy. Guess I owe you two, now."

"One," Nico corrected. "You broke me out of prison."

Thalia grabbed Nico's sword from the closet as Ianthe spoke. "Roszí and Alabaster already made it to the border. We should go before anyone else catches us."

"I can shadow travel. It's short enough."

They arose inches from Lady Artemis's silver chariot. Nico took one look at Lady Artemis, then fell like his legs were made of jelly. "Nico!" Thalia cried. She had a flashback to the last time that happened. Her heart started pounding. Had Elladora not gotten all the poison out? Did Ceres poison him?

"It's hard for a half-blood to shadow travel. It must be nearly impossible for a full mortal to," Ianthe assured her.

Thalia breathed a sigh of relief. Her Lady looked at her quizzically but said nothing. Alabaster took Nico in his arms and carried him onto the silver chariot. They laid him down on the bench until Ianthe revived him. Nico sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked around, bewildered until he officially came to.

"I can shadow travel," he growled. Roszí and Ianthe rolled their eyes.

"Remember thy leg, _boy_. Thou hast less strength than thou presumes."

"Quiet," Lady Artemis commanded. It was nice not to be the only one who knew why Nico was acting the way he was. "You cannot shadow-travel to camp as a mortal. Your only ticket home is with me. Now get into my carriage or I will send for the wolves."

"Wolves, please," Nico mumbled, but he was still too weak to stand up. The silver deer launched themselves into the sky, heading east towards camp.

"I am proud of you girls," Lady Artemis said. "I feared Persephone expected too much, but, as I have learned time and time again, I should never underestimate my Hunters. You have saved the world from destruction."

"Temporarily," Nico grumbled. Everyone in the chariot shot a look at Nico. He met Thalia's eye and withered with guilt, yet he refused to say another word. Alabaster leaned over and said something under his breath, but Nico shook his head, crossed his arms, and turned his back on all of them. Lady Artemis's eyes flashed with pity, no doubt remembering Bianca, but it was gone as soon as it came.

"We temporarily avoid the end of the world every day. Only the Fates and Delphi know what the future holds. Assume nothing. And, Alabaster C. Torrington, Nico di Angelo-" Nico huffed at his name, but everyone ignored him. "-you did well."

"For men?" Nico shot back.

"No."

The six of them sat in silence for a while, watching the stars flicker. When Thalia glanced at him, she saw Nico staring at a constellation: a Hunter with a bow and arrow running across the sky. He refused to cry, but he was close. She sat down next to him and punched him in the arm. He looked at her, then his eyes fell on his lap.

"Did we do it, Nico? Did we make peace?"

Nico smiled without looking up. "Yeah, we did it, Thalia."

**END NOTES**

This week's beta commentary:  
STORY: "Every darkness has some light," she would say.  
LISSY: I love how it's basically become accepted fanon that Maria di Angelo pulled out random fortune cookie Dove wrapper mumbo jumbo on a daily basis.

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author ( .com)  
Oli - Beta Reader ( .com)  
Suhalia - Beta Reader ( users/milkandtahoney/)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)  
Oli - Beta Reader (Tumblr paradoxicalpsychic)  
Suhalia - Beta Reader (Archive Of Our Own users/milkandtahoney/)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!

**COMMENTS**

**FestusGirl**

_Sorry for not leaving any reviews lately. My life is so busy right now, it's crazy. This will probably be my last review. I will still read it, and I will always love it, but I won't review anymore. So for now, this is goodbye_

It's totally fine, I get it! And I'll be sad to see you stop reviewing, but I understand. Goodbye for now!

**ShadeFireDragon**

_Ye, at least I got a fanfic idea, so thanks. But why must you keep hurting Nico XP He used to be so innocent..._

Hey, I didn't take his innocence away, Uncle Rick did. I thought it was obvious why I hurt Nico: it's fun. And how else can I get my daily/weekly servings of tears?


	14. To Fuck or Not to Fuck a Fish

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

The questers return to Camp Half-Blood. Ron, Hermione, and Percy head to Diagon Alley.  


**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: General Audiences  
Content Warning: Graphic Depictions of Violence  
Word Count: 3972

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_ANNABETH_**

Annabeth didn't wake up until the wind pulled her blanket straight out from under her. She reached to pull the sheets off her body, but her blanket cocoon wrapped tightly around her legs kept her from moving an inch.

"Malcolm!" Annabeth screamed. If he was still in the Athena cabin, he couldn't hear her over the roaring wind.

She untwisted her blankets with the speed of a weaver, but it wasn't enough. A gust of wind flew through the windows-open and barely holding onto their metal fastenings-and knocked her from her bunk. She screamed as she fell on to the floor, landing forehead first on the oak panels below her.

Straight out of a disaster movie, the wind tore the roof of the Athena cabin from its walls and blew it into oblivion. She only had time to put her hands in front of her face before she was buried in a mountain of plaster. With every ounce of strength she had, she clawed at the debris on top of her, desperate to tunnel her way out.

Light. There was light in the distance. Annabeth tore through the debris with all her might, kicking and screaming for help. She made a makeshift lever out of a large piece of a wooden beam, found a stable place for a fulcrum between two tiles, and pushed with all her might. Plaster parted like the Red Sea, allowing a rush of fresh air and starlight.

_CRAAAAACK. _

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me."

Right on cue, a tree crashed through the walls... right where Annabeth just dug herself out of prison. The enormous trunk hit her square on the nose. It would've crushed her, had she not had the mountain of plaster on top of her to support its weight.

An invisible hand squeezed the air from her lungs. Red spots turned black in an instant.

When she woke up, the sun was shining, but her cabin was little more than rubble. She lay on a mangled mattress with springs barely covered by fluff.

_I need to sit up. _

She felt a soft hand on her shoulder. "No, you need to rest." It came before Annabeth had time to act on her thoughts. Curious, she glanced up to see a little girl-the same girl who always tended the flames; the one Nico was so friendly with. She chanted in Ancient Greek-

_A healing spell. Is she a daughter of- oh, my gods... _

Before her eyes, the Athena cabin repaired itself. It looked no different than before.

"You're a goddess."

"Yes, I am Hestia, goddess of the hearth. I may have given up my throne on Olympus, but I am still one of the elder gods. I have near unlimited power over my domain. And my domain the home and the family... until one marries, then Hera takes over the family aspect. But a cabin can't marry." Annabeth laughed. "I cannot heal you, but I can help you recover some strength. The home always helps you through the darkness." Hestia put her hand in Annabeth's. Her pain melted away.

"Thank you, Lady Hestia." Hestia nodded with a small, humble smile.

Annabeth wanted to ask her to come with her to the Apollo kids, but she knew that would be stupid. It was Hestia's magical aura that made her feel comfortable. But you're not supposed to feel comfortable around a god-they're your betters, and if you forget that, no matter how nice they are, you're history. In a way, that made Hestia the most dangerous Olympian of all.

Annabeth left. Most of the structures were damaged; campers cleaned the fallen trees and branches littering the ground. Some moved dead wildlife away. Piper readjusted the Golden Fleece on its branch.

"Piper!" Annabeth cried. The two friends embraced, tears in their eyes.

"Where were you?! We all thought- Percy's going to be glad to see you."

"He's okay?"

"Yeah! As far as I know, no one died in the storm."

Right on cue, Annabeth was ripped from Piper's arms and ferociously kissed by Percy. Neither of them cared about the P.D.A., in fact, they weren't the only couple kissing. She passed Miranda and Travis on her way over, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Frank and Hazel in the shadow of the Big House where they thought no one could see them.

"I thought I lost you," Percy whispered in between kisses.

"I'm right here," Annabeth reassured him. Tears were falling down her cheeks. She was in shock-she'd been closer to death than she had been in a very, very long time.

_One month streak. Ruined. _

They parted, breathless. Percy smiled at her through tears of his own. He wiped one of hers away with his thumb. "You're stuck with me forever," he whispered.

"Forever," Annabeth agreed with a tearful, breathless laugh. Right now, the feeling of Percy playing with the engagement ring inexplicably still on her finger was the only thing keeping her grounded. She made that promise, and she was going to keep it.

They barely had time to exchange "I love you's" when they heard the sound of the conch shell. Everyone turned at the noise... to see Nico, Thalia, Alabaster, and the other Hunters walking into camp.

_So that's why the storm ended. They did it. _

Everyone else had the same idea. They burst into roaring applause. Alabaster enjoyed it from the sidelines with his usual sly smile. Nico shrank from the attention; he stood beside Alabaster, hands in his pockets, looking at the ground with his shoulders hunched. Thalia ate it up with a huge grin, waving and slapping the back of her fellow Hunters. The three of them kept smiling at Artemis, standing on the border of the camp, clapping along with the crowd.

Thalia made the 'zip' motion with her hands, silencing them the way a conductor silences their orchestra. They played along and stopped clapping. Laughter rippled through the crowd. Making a big show of it, Thalia grabbed Nico and pushed him forward.

"I, Thalia Grace, give you permission to enter the camp!"

Nico stumbled over the boundary line to cheers and another round of applause. He shot Thalia his signature death stare, earning an "oooo" from the crowd. He was still slouching, but he was smiling along with everyone else.

They cheered louder when Nico shouted "Paul!" and ran across the lawn and into his waiting arms. Percy let go of Annabeth's hand and joined the hug, then Sally joined with tears streaming down her cheeks.

If anyone asked, Annabeth definitely _didn't _hear their conversation, even though she was well within earshot.

"I thought I was going to die..." Nico whimpered into Paul's chest. "I thought I'd never see you again... I'm done, I'm never doing another quest... I missed you... I missed you..."

"Good," Paul told him through tears of his own, "because I won't let you go."

"Don't let them take me..."

"No one's taking you anywhere, Nico, never again."

That was when Thalia pulled her into a monster hug. "We're having the best campfire tomorrow," she promised. "Me and death boy have _stories_."

Annabeth's cheeks hurt from laughing, but she did it again. "Not much can surprise me anymore," she warned.

"Just you wait."

Over Thalia's shoulder, she saw Will Solace staring longingly at Nico. "Not now," she mouthed to him. Thankfully, he got the message and walked off.

**_RON_**

At two in the morning, Hermione dragged Ron out of his bed. He groaned and rolled over, but she kept shaking him. "Quiet!" she whispered. "Come downstairs."

He didn't know what to expect, but, unfortunately, he was rather fond of Hermione and thus found it really hard to say no to her. So, he pushed himself out of bed and followed her downstairs to the living room.

"You want a midnight snog?" Ron joked. His voice was scratchy.

Hermione giggled. "No. It's about the protest. I woke Percy up-he said to give him a few minutes."

"But you dragged me out?"

"You would've fallen asleep again. Besides, I want to see if he actually shows up."

"I showed up," Percy said from the doorway. He yawned as he turns the lights on with his wand. "What do you need, Hermione?"

Percy joined them on the couch. Hermione pulled a pieces of white parchment from her pocket, marked up with her cursive in navy blue ink, and a small tube the same color blue cap on top, similar to the form Percy's sword took when it wasn't a sword. Ron thought for a second-what had Percy Jackson called it?

"That's a pen," he said.

"Yes."

"What do you have a sword-holder for?"

Hermione sighed. "Percy Jackson's was special, Ron. Pens are muggle quills, and much easier to use. I wish I could use them at Hogwarts, honestly. Can you both read the paper?"

"The white parchment? Yes."

"I made a list of what we'll need for the protest." She handed them each a piece of paper. "It's not much. I can use my ski bag to carry it all. We'll have to use Muggle transport, so I wrote instructions under the list."

"Why can't Percy apparate us?" Ron asked. "Not willing to do it?"

"I can do it," Percy huffed.

"No," Hermione said. "It's too loud. So is floo powder. The bang or our yelling will wake everyone up. We're leaving now-there's no way my parents or yours will let us go; they'll say it's too dangerous. I wrote a note to my parents saying you and I went on a walk, and I don't think Molly will mind Percy-he's old enough to go where he wants. We'll have to make up an excuse when we get back."

She pulled out three cards made of hard, shiny material. "These are metro passes. I'll show you how they work when we get to the metro." She took her phone (Ron still didn't understand what it did, no matter how many times Hermione tried to explain it) and checked the map that appeared on it. "It says five-and-a-half hours. Don't worry, you'll be able to sleep on the train. We can get breakfast at the Leaky Cauldron, then make our way to the Daily Prophet Headquarters for the protest at nine. That's where and when the Diagon Tribune said it would be, and I think they would know."

"Good bet," Ron agreed. "Percy can treat us for breakfast. Least he could do."

They took Percy's silence as a yes. "Great," Hermione said. "Let's get going."

**_NICO_**

When Nico recovered enough, he, Sally, Paul, and Percy helped Will and the Apollo kids round up the injured and sort them into the Big House infirmary. Will was too busy directing everything to give Nico more than a quick smile and nod hello. It hurt a little-every time he saw Will he felt his heart try to jump out of his chest-but he understood. Will didn't know how many times he'd almost died. And, besides, the world didn't revolve around their relationship. No matter how much he wished it did.

Percy and Nico set up a cot for Leo. Jason carried him, and Calypso was right beside him, one hand running through his hair, calming him. He was resilient, but he'd lost a lot of blood and would be dead had it not been for Will's emergency supply of nectar and excellent healing skills. And, maybe, the Golden Fleece. Just a little bit. But It was mostly Will.

A certain son of Apollo aside, Nico thanked every god on Olympus and plus some that Leo was all right. He cared about his friends. It would be much easier to be a loner-less people to get hurt by his terrible, terrible luck-but he was happy that wasn't the case anymore. That didn't mean he was used to worrying as much as he did, though. It was terrifying, thinking of all the hostages Zeus could take. When he saw Leo on the Big House bed with Calypso at his side, his heart ached and his vision turned red. No one messed with his friends. Not even the Lord of the Sky.

Chiron surprised everybody when he announced that they'd have an all-night campfire and start cleaning the camp tomorrow. Nico supposed even immortals wanted to celebrate after they came out of that disaster mostly unscathed. All the cabins were already mended-Nico had a sneaking suspicion whose fault that was-so that left the debris, fallen trees, a few fires to put out, restocking supplies, treating minor injuries, and fighting the monsters who broke into camp while the Fleece was in the Big House basement. Nothing they couldn't tackle in the morning.

Nico sat with the Jacksons on one side, Thalia and Alabaster on the other. Armed with s'mores, friends, and family, the quest was less terrifying. Thalia told most of the stories, though Nico chimed in a lot to correct, embellish, or fill in what Thalia wasn't there for. Alabaster kept his mouth shut-Hecate wasn't the most popular goddess at the moment.

Plus, he was the most entertaining part.

"Nico's poisoned on the floor, and this green mermaid is throwing herself at Alabaster. He's sitting there, eating it up, red as Tartarus-"

"You were _not_!" Nico interrupted, laughing at his friend.

Alabaster only shrugged... but the color of his cheeks was more than answer enough.

"Torrington wants to fuck a fish, dude!" one of the Ares kids shouted. The camp burst into taunts and snickers.

"Don't let them get to you, Al," Nico whispered.

"I know they hate me. I can take it. It's-" Alabaster's face clouded, like it always did when he thought about the Second Titan War. "It's not like I don't deserve it."

"Al..." Nico didn't know what to say.

Alabaster met his eye. He was deadly serious. "I don't want to fuck a fish. Just for the record."

Nico couldn't keep some laughter from coming out. "Sorry, sorry, but the way you said that-are you sure you don't want to fuck a fish?"

"I don't want to fuck a fish, Nico."

"Because it sounds like you're overcompensating."

"I don't want. To fuck. A fish."

"Hey, Thalia?" Nico called. Everyone else had stopped taunting Alabaster, and it was calm enough to continue the story. "What did Elladora tell Al?"

Thalia raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms smugly. She made a point to turn to Alabaster. "I don't know. Tell me, fish lover, what did she say to make you-" Thalia grimaced. "-do ...ew."

"Hunters!" An Aphrodite kid scoffed. "If you tried it you wouldn't find it so gross!"

Piper tackled her sibling. Annabeth made it just in time to hold the three Hunters back from using their bows. By the time everything went back to normal, no one, except Nico and Alabaster, remembered the question. Part of him wanted to torture his friend a little more, but Nico took the high road and continued on to the adventures of Newt and Neeks post-Elladora Ketteridge. By the time Thalia recovered enough to take the reins again, they were halfway to New Arcadia.

**_RON_**

Using the muggle contraptions was confusing, but Hermione was nothing but patient with him. To his annoyance, Percy got the metro card down on his first try-it took Ron twelve to get the light on the pad to turn from red to green. It didn't help that ten grumpy muggle healers started yelling at him after his second try.

"What's their deal?" he asked.

"Nothing, it's just how things are," Hermione replied.

He slept every time he sat down, so by the time they reached the Leaky Cauldron he was considerably less tired, and their pancakes and toast were better than Ron expected inn food to be. It felt good to be back with wizards. He didn't like the muggle world much.

"Ron? Hermione?" The three of them turned around. Cho Chang came up to their table with a friendly smile. She seemed surprised and happy to see them, though he saw sadness behind that smile. After Harry's death, Ron and Hermione told her in person. It was awful after what happened to Cedric, and Cho didn't take it well. This was the first time they'd seen her since.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked. "Come sit with us."

Cho pulled up a chair and put her waffle on the table. "Help yourself, I'm not very hungry. I'm here for the protest. You are too, right?"

"Yes," Percy told her. He held out his hand. "Percy Weasley, Ron's brother."

Cho didn't take his hand. "You're Fudge's assistant, the one from the Daily Prophet who said all those horrible things about Harry."

Percy pulled his hand away. "I was a spokesperson for the Ministry."

"You made his life miserable for telling the truth, all because it was hard to hear. And you're the reason that foul woman came to Hogwarts in the first place, and the reason she got enough power to start torturing him and everyone else." Her voice was deadly calm. Ron was surprised she was this composed. One word about Harry or Cedric was usually enough to push her to tears.

"I know."

Twice in two days, Ron was taken aback. Percy sounded so weak and vulnerable, so guilty. It was the first time he'd ever let a comment about You-Know-Who's return go.

"You were dating, right?" Percy asked Cho. She gave a curt nod. "I remember at the Quidditch World Cup, Harry fancied you, it was obvious. And... you must've cared about him a lot. I was wrong. I know that doesn't help your grief, but Harry was a part of my family, and I betrayed him. When he died, I realized how much of an idiot I've been. It took me a year to face my family. No, I don't think You-Know-Who returned, but that shouldn't've mattered. The Ministry went too far. I was a part of that. That's why I'm here-I'm sorry."

Cho said nothing, except, "It's almost nine. We should go."

She and Hermione gathered their things as Percy threw a few galleons on the table. Ron hung around. When Percy started towards the door, he put a hand on his arm, stopping him. "Hey, Percy? For what it's worth... I forgive you."

Percy pulled him into a hug. He didn't have to say anything-that was enough.

**_NICO_**

When they finished telling the story of their quest, the campfire should've ended. But, nobody wanted to go to sleep. The satyrs played Top 40 hits on their reed pipes, and the Dionysus cabin whipped up some awesome party drinks and snacks-all non-alcoholic, Chiron's orders. They partied until four in the morning, when a breakfast feast greeted them in the dining pavilion. Chiron made his morning announcements:

"I hope that we've all had a pleasant evening," he began with a humorous glint in his eye. The camp cheered. "We are blessed with the goddess Artemis. Will you be staying?"

"Until tomorrow evening," Artemis answered. "Thalia, Roszí, and Ianthe will do their share to clean the camp before we depart."

"We're grateful for their help. We give our thanks to our questers for completing their task. You five have kept the world from falling into chaos!" Again, the camp cheered. "I want to commend all of you for your bravery during the tornado. Especially Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus, who couldn't be here tonight. His heroic act saved the lives of many campers-Will, we hope he gets better soon."

Will blushed and sheepishly put his hand up. "I'll make sure he does."

"I also want to thank the followers of Hecate, Blaise Zabini and Hestia Carrow, for escorting Mr. Blofis and Ms. Jackson safely to camp."

Nico eagerly clapped for his friends.

"There's not much else to say. Return to your cabins after breakfast. We will begin cleaning the camp at three. Mr. Blofis and Ms. Jackson, I will show you to the Big House." He held up a goblet, and together they shouted:

"To the gods!"

When Nico walked into the Hades cabin, he saw a figure in the darkness. "I'm not doing anything else, Persephone," he grumbled.

"Good."

Nico turned on the light. It was Will. He laughed and rolled his eyes at the same time. "How long have you been standing there, Solace?"

"Longer than I'll admit."

That was as much as they could take. Nico grabbed Will by the shirt and tackled him to the ground. If it hurt when they hit their heads, neither noticed. They'd both come so close to death-they wanted to finally feel alive.

Will crawled out from under Nico and pulled the two of them into a sitting position. One hand was on his back, the other on his cheek. Nico had both hands in his boyfriend's hair as he kissed him furiously-he loved that hair a little too much.

Nico's knee hit something sharp. "Ow!" He pulled away instinctively and grabbed his knee.

"Did I hurt you?"

"No, I sat on something."

It was his iPod. It must've fallen out of his pocket because the screen was cracked and one of those tiny glass pieces was in Nico's kneecap. "Gods damn it." He wiped it away. "Sorry I ruined the moment."

Will kissed him again, deeply. "We got all the time in the world for moments. I'm sorry we broke this dinosaur. You'll have to get a touchscreen now. Oh, the horror."

"One reparo from Blaise or Hestia and it's all good. Now come here-"

"What's in this playlist 'Literally Me?' "

Nico's eyes widened. "No, Will, don't you dare-"

He knew he should've asked for plug-in speakers instead of Bluetooth. To his horror, Will hit play, and the first song started to play:

_If there's a price for rotten judgement, _  
_I guess I've already won that. _  
_No man is worth the aggravation! __  
_It's ancient history-been there, done that!

Will doubled over in laughter, clutching his sides. "I can't breathe!"

"I WAS TEN!" Nico tried to wrestle the iPod from Will's hands, but Will held it up too high for him to reach.

"_ No chaaaance, no waaaay I won't saaaay it, no no, _" Will screeched with the music.

"You are the WORST!" Nico jumped for his iPod, covering his ear with one hand. Will's voice was so bad it was a marvel, really.

Will dropped the iPod on Nico's bed. "Let's dance." He held out his hand. Nico took it, blushing from embarrassment. This was so stupidly Hollywood, but he never cared where Will was concerned. They swayed to the song. "You know, I'm going to need context, Neeks."

"I was ten. I had a crush on my roommate, Matt O'Harris. I was obsessed with Mythomagic and this was my favorite movie. Now shut up."

"Awww, little baby Neeks's first crush."

"Don't call me Neeks."

Will laughed. "Do you still talk to him?"

Nico's smile faltered. "I- I sent him a letter after I came out of the Labyrinth, but after the Titan war things just... you know. I'd changed. I couldn't go back to the mortal world after that."

Will nodded. They danced in silence for a little while, listening to the music.

_No chance no way I won't say it, no no. _  
_Give up, give in, check the grin you're in love! __  
_This scene won't play, I won't say I'm in love.

"Hey," Will said, tucking a piece of stray hair behind Nico's ear. "I'll say it. I love you."

They stopped swaying. "I love you, too," Nico whispered. They kissed, soft and slow. When Nico opened his eyes, they were lying in his bed. "Stay," he pleaded. Will nodded and leaned in to kiss him again.

_At least, out loud, I won't say I'm in love._

**END NOTES**

And then they have the sex.

This week's beta commentary:  
STORY:"I was ten. I had a crush on my roommate. I was obsessed with Mythomagic and this was my favorite movie. Now shut up."  
LISSY: Nico was a mythology geek and Hades invented Mythomagic out of petty spite so he could make all the Olympians look and act in ways they'd find insulting and no one can convince me otherwise.  
LISSY: That's why Nico loves it so much it's in his DNA  
OLI: headcanon fucking accepted

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)  
Oli - Beta Reader (Tumblr paradoxicalpsychic)  
Suhalia - Beta Reader (Archive Of Our Own users/milkandtahoney/)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!


	15. Dionysus Has Super-Hearing

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

The Diagon Alley protest. The campers clean Camp Half-Blood.  


**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: Teen and Up Audiences  
Content Warning: Cursing, Graphic Depictions of Violence  
Word Count: 3549

This is the last one for today.

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_HERMIONE_**

The protest started at nine o'clock on December 22nd. Much like the day Harry defeated Lord Voldemort, Hermione would be surprised if the day didn't go down in history. Based on everything that she saw, this was the first protest in the Wizarding World in a very, very long time. Maybe ever.

When they arrived in front of the Daily Prophet Headquarters, the witches and wizards that organized the protest handed out signs with slogans like "Propaganda =/ News" and "They Were CHILDREN." Some (probably muggle-borns) brought signs of their own. A small group from They Are Our Future-the Save the Children of the Wizarding World-sold cloaks for two galleons. Many witches and wizards had one thrown over their robes.

A middle-aged witch stood on top of a table in front of the crowd with her wand pointed at her throat. "Thank you all for coming. I know this is a first for many of you, and for the Wizarding World. My colleagues and I are so glad so many of you want to protect your right to the truth! Now, let's make sure those editors hear us!" The crowd cheered. "PROPAGANDA ISN'T NEWS! PROPAGANDA ISN'T NEWS!"

The first Daily Prophet worker who tried to enter the building was greeted with shouting, jeering, and booing. The two dozen or so who were unlucky enough to have to enter or exit during the protest kept their heads down, hurrying as quickly as they could past the volatile crowd. Mostly, though, the protest consisted of chanting, singing some theme-appropriate songs, and They Are Our Future's efforts to run it all and raise money through their cloaks, food and drink.

Cho left them pretty early on. Hermione saw her a few times, talking to various people and weaving through the crowd.

_She probably knows a lot of people here. She's very popular at Hogwarts. _

But Hermione wasn't sure if she believed that was all it was. Cho seemed too intense. She studied every person she saw and planned out every move she made. And why would she come to the protest alone in the first place if so many of her friends were here?

Her mind turned from Cho when the Aurors appeared.

Pius Thickness stood beside them with at least ten Aurors behind him. He put a wand to his throat. "This is the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Disperse, immediately."

The crowd roared in protest. Hermione saw an auror clench his wand, but no one else moved. She thought back to Merlin's warning-the Wizarding World no longer had a god to keep things stable.

_I have to stop this before things get bad. _

She turned to Ron and Percy. She hadn't noticed until that moment how pale Percy looked.

"You're not going to bail on us now, are you?" Hermione asked, her voice harsh.

"...no," Percy forced himself to say. He swallowed hard. "No. I'm not. If I get fired, if I have to resign, I'll do it. I... I can't believe I just said that..."

"Then come with me," Hermione told him, "because we need to get to the front of the crowd. Things can't escalate."

She fought her way towards Thickness and the Aurors. Ron and Percy were frozen to the spot. As much as she wanted to fault them for it, she couldn't. Their dad worked for the Ministry, and he couldn't afford to lose his job. Besides, they didn't realize how bad things could get. They were purebloods; they hadn't seen muggle protests get ugly.

"You have attacked employees of the Daily Prophet," Thickness accused. "Disperse."

"We have not!"

"How many children did you attack, huh?!"

Thickness tightened his grip on his wand. "A ministry official punished students lying about You-Know-Who's return, preventing mass hysteria from Hogwarts and _protecting _your children. Wizarding Weekly lied about the methods. We have entertained this muggle practice long enough. You have harmed innocent witches and wizards. Disperse."

Someone climbed on the table with a wand to their throat.

Cho.

"Dolores Umbridge tortured Harry Potter! When he died, you covered it up! You covered it all up! What about Neville Longbottom, when he defended his parents, the war heroes? Or Lisa Turpin, when she gave a house-elf her leftover food in the hallway? She didn't punish students, she punished anyone who didn't agree with your agenda! She tortured-"

An auror waved his wand, and Cho stopped short. She kept opening her mouth, but nothing came out.

"A silencing charm!"

"They cursed a child!"

"How many more children do you want to silence?!"

Hermione ran the rest of the way past the crowd. "Sonorus," she whispered. "Stop!" Her voice rang out and echoed through the streets of Diagon Alley. She finally got to Pius Thickness. Swallowing her pride, she threw herself at his feet. "Please! Whatever the Daily Prophet told you, we didn't touch any of their workers! Please, let us finish the day in peace. Please-"

Pius Thickness caught her by the jaw. "Prefectus Totalis."

"No!" Ron shouted. Hermione watched helplessly as he shoved his way through the crowd, as the crowd got more and more angry, as someone helped a terrified Cho get her voice back just in time for an auror to grab her and violently pull her off the table. There were screams, there were shouts, there were spells, there were punches, kicks, shoves...

By the time Ron got to Hermione, someone had broken her nose with their foot, and she had three different people's blood somewhere on her skin.

**_ANNABETH_**

At three p.m. on the dot, Mr. D sorted Camp Half-Blood into groups to finish up the tasks. The only people not present were Leo and Calypso, Will, Lou Ellen, and Will's half-sister Kayla, all of whom were at Leo's side, making sure he didn't die for the second time.

"Yes, so, these are the groups Chiron placed you in to clean this miserable camp that you will no doubt ignore to slack off with your friends, blah, blah, blah..."

"Could he care any less?" Nico whispered.

"Of course not," Percy whispered back, "I'm sure he wishes Zeus blew this place off the map."

"Peter Johnson and Nathan Diablo, thank you for volunteering to clean the Big House!" Mr. D said with a malicious smile. "Hecate's possé may help you-no magic, of course. I would like to remind those three that we punish rulebreakers harshly here." Annabeth didn't doubt that-Hecate made a lot of enemies, and Alabaster in particular was a traitor to the camp. They'd get more than kitchen duty if Mr. D sensed them using their powers.

Thalia, Roszí, and Ianthe joined the Ares and Apollo kids in hunting monsters who'd crossed over the boundary line when the Golden Fleece was in the Big House. Grover led the satyrs and nymphs around the camp, using nature magic to regrow the foliage uprooted during the tornado and mourning the nature spirits that fell in the storm, and the Hephaestus kids minus Leo dealt with repairs and replenishing supplies. Since the remaining cabins only had one or two campers each, they got to choose their own groups and were assigned where to start picking up debris by Mr. D. Since Mr. D had a special hatred for Annabeth and her friends, they, of course, got assigned to the front of the camp, where the majority of the wreckage was.

It wasn't all bad, though. She, Reyna, and Frank started a competition to see who could come up with the most efficient way to collect everything-Hazel gave each plan a hilarious title-Piper charmspoke Jason into doing her work-Jason was the only one who didn't find it funny-and Rachel used her "oracle powers" to predict who would pick up the next rock, each time with a more and more ridiculous voice and overdramatic performance.

Around midnight, none other than Alabaster C. Torrington met them on the Big House lawn with a sinister glimmer in his eye.

"What?" Frank asked him.

"I didn't say anything."

"You get that look when you're planning new war games with Reyna and me. So, what is it?"

Alabaster grinned the way a cartoon villain would. "Chiron's in the Big House. Private conversation with Diana, Bacchus, and Vesta. Nico and Percy are already there. I can apparate us. You're going to want to hear this."

"For what reason?" Reyna asked. "It's a big risk, eavesdropping on three powerful gods."

"They're talking about the state of Olympus and the trial. Don't you want to know what's happening?"

The strategist in Annabeth stirred. If there was information to be had, she wanted it. One look around confirmed that everyone else agreed. Alabaster raised his eyebrows. One by one, they all nodded. He waved his hand, and they were silently transported outside Chiron's office. Percy and Nico were huddled by the door with flesh-colored tubes in their ears.

Percy turned. He held out a box with more flesh-colored tubes. Annabeth read the information on the side.

_Extendable Ears. Product of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. _

_Fred and George. Of course. _

"I'm not so sure about this," Hazel whispered.

Nico turned to her, white as a sheet. "Haze. You guys _really _need to hear this."

**_CHO_**

When Hermione threw herself at Thickness's feet, Cho realized what she'd done. She knew she'd spend the rest of her life wondering if she was the one who started the mob. But, first, she had to make sure she got out of it alive.

One of the protesters let her out of the silencing charm but was quickly separated from her by a stampede of angry wizards charging at the Aurors ahead of them. Before she could catch her breath, a big, burly man grabbed her by the hair and yanked her off the table. He dragged her to a corner twenty feet away from them all while she fought and screamed. But no one noticed. They were far to occupied.

The auror shoved her against the wall of the Daily Prophet building. Hard. "Are you the informant?!" he shouted.

"No!"

"Are you the informant?!"

"No, I'm not, please, don't hurt me!"

The auror threw her to the ground and kicked her in the stomach, knocking the wind from her. Hair fell into Cho's face. She felt blood rushing from her hands and knees.

It was at that moment that Cho Chang became someone new. Something shifted in her, something awakened that she never knew was there.

_Fuck You-Know-Who. Fuck Fudge. Fuck Umbridge. Fuck Marietta. Fuck Harry. Fuck Cedric. No more fucking tears! I am __not_ _a victim. I'm not some damsel in distress. I'm going to save the Wizarding World from chaos if I have to kill You-Know-Who myself and tear down the Ministry brick by brick. Let me die-I'll go down kicking and screaming and come back as a ghost to fight some more. _

_You want to torture me, Time? You want to suck all the colors from my life? You want to trap me in darkness so thick I can't move? You want to make the sun go cold and night last forever? You want to keep me at three o'clock, trapped in this merry-go-round for the rest of eternity? Fine. I'll take your curse and make it a blessing. _

_This is me walking away from the tea table. _

Cho whipped her body around at lightning speed. She pointed her wand at her attacker and, for the first time ever, performed a non-verbal spell.

_Expelliarmus. _

With a flash of red light, the Auror's wand fell out of his hand. Cho screamed and kicked him hard between the legs, then scrambled from the ground and pointed her wand.

_Stupify. _

She turned and ran down the alley and into the Daily Prophet headquarters through the side door. Unfortunately, the mob had already made its way inside the building. And the Ministry had sent back-up.

She fought her way to the steps, hoping the upper levels would have somewhere to hide. But too many people were crowding the front hall, so much so that she couldn't see anything but the stairs. She ran towards the nearest wall and stood on a chair.

_Wingardium Leviosa. _

The chair rose into the air. She was four feet from the railing of the stairs. Without a second thought, she jumped. Her hands caught the banister, and she pulled herself up. She threw her body over the banister and ran up the first flight of stairs, then another, then another. The halls were deserted now, she just had to get as far from the mob as possible-

"You filthy little mudblood!"

Cho stopped in her tracks. A woman was crying right behind the wall. She could hear grunts and screams as her attacker hit her again and again.

"You're a spy! A spy for the Ministry, you filthy mudblood!"

"Please, no!"

It was her friend from the Leaky Cauldron, the one who was supposed to get married. She had a choice. Save herself, or save this bride.

She chose the bride.

"Let her go!" Cho shouted when she entered the conference room. Immediately, she was hit on the forehead by a metal inkwell. A mixture of ink and blood poured into her eyes, blinding her. "I said, let her go!" she shouted again, wiping the liquid off her forehead with the back of her hand.

Two men and a woman turned to her, a crazy light in their eyes. Cho raised a shield just in time to be greeted by three different flashes of light, all of which missed her. Rope sprang from one of the spells, trapping a chair in its grip and breaking it to pieces. Cho shot a jelly legs jinx at one of the men, and he fell. When the woman tried to unhex her friend, Cho shot a leg-binding curse. She fell into the man's jelly-legs, and the man roared in pain.

"You think you're clever, girl?!" the man shouted. "You're defending a mudblood, Ministry-loving traitor! Expulso!"

Cho dropped to the ground just in time for the conference table to explode. She grabbed a rather large piece of former table and lobbed it at the man. It hit him in the shoulder, and his wand fell out of his hand. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the bride moving towards the door...

While Cho was distracted, the man picked up his wand. "Levicorpus!" he screamed. Something wrapped around Cho's leg and pulled her into the air. She fell, helpless. Her already injured forehead hit the ground and dulled her vision. "Relashio!" Cho shot backward. Her back hit the wall. He took his time walking towards her. "Deprimo Liberacorpus."

Cho fell from the air as the wall behind her exploded. She was knocked twenty feet forwards, landing on her stomach and cheek on top of the concrete remains of the conference table. Every bone in her body was broken, most of her skin was badly burned, and every muscle was on fire. Most of her hair was singed in the explosion, leaving only choppy remains ending at her cheekbones. She felt vibrations in the floor as the man stepped towards her.

The lights in the room went out. Cho couldn't see her hand in front of her face. Someone picked her up and ran out of the room with her in her arms.

"Thank you for saving my life," the bride whispered, "I'm Genevieve. I'll get you help. You're going to be fine."

Even through the haze of hot, searing pain, Cho knew that wasn't the case. Her mum was an E.R. doctor in the Muggle world, and Cho had heard enough to recognize the signs of shock. The black circles in her vision got bigger and bigger until she passed out completely. It was a roll of the dice if she would ever wake up.

**_ANNABETH_**

At Nico's insistence, everyone took an extendable ear from Percy. It was hard to fit everyone in, huddled by the door. But it was more than worth it. She heard Artemis speak as though the goddess stood right next to her. "According to Nico's dream, Hecate has already declared war, unofficially of course. Persephone knows and is gathering troops in her husband's name, as is Merlin for Hecate. It may be a day until both sides are prepared for battle, but once they are, fighting will begin."

"Are you sure, Artemis?" Chiron asked.

"Yes. Dreams do not lie."

"She's telling the truth," Mr. D said. "Olympus doesn't know war has been declared, but we all suspected it would happen soon. No one addressed it in council, except when Demeter asked to delay the trial. Have you overheard anything, Hestia?"

"Yes," she admitted. "What's worse, most gods can't decide what form to take, Greek or Roman."

"That will make it harder to predict who will choose who," Artemis said.

Hestia continued her briefing. "All the gods lean towards one side or the other, but very, very few have made up their minds. Zeus and Ceres have both chosen Hecate outright, and I doubt they will ever go back on that decision. Hades secured Venus and Juno, though Juno will not openly declare her allegiance since her husband chose the other side. And I know you promote Hades, Artemis. The others are still deciding, and hard to predict. I am neutral, of course. Dionysus, have you taken a side?"

"No. I would like it best if war never came."

"Wishful thinking," Artemis snapped. "Both sides have grudges that run too deep."

"Predictable as always, Artemis." Mr. D sighed. "I know Athena and Mars have settled on their forms."

"They'll decide where the war goes," Chiron concluded. "Both are Olympus's top strategists. Hecate and Hades have access to fine military minds, but no one can fight like the gods of war. Do you know how they lean?"

"That is obvious," Mr. D said. "Hecate is a Roman god. Have you ever known Mars to fight against Rome, where so many of his children continue to rule? And the grudge between Ares, Athena, Mars, and Minerva runs deep. Athena will never take Hecate's side if Mars considers it an option."

"But, I promise you, neither have made their decisions," Hestia assured them.

"And Poseidon is neutral?" Chiron asked.

A tense silence fell. A pit formed in Annabeth's stomach as she realized why.

"I hope you're mistaken," Mr. D said.

"No... she is right," Artemis realized. "Blizzards chased my Hunters. Khione is too weak now to do such a thing. Only Poseidon can control the water cycle. It is clear-he has chosen to fight against Hades."

_Oh no... _

Annabeth backed away from the door. Her heart was in overdrive, her blood pounded in her ears, her breath was ragged, and nothing and no one could shake her terror. This was worse than spiders, worse than Tartarus, worst than any unrelenting nightmare. This wasn't supposed to happen! This was never supposed to happen again!

"Annabeth?" Percy asked. He sounded like he was underwater.

"You don't understand," Annabeth whispered. "Zeus and Poseidon have teamed up against Hades before."

"What do you mean? When?" Hazel asked.

"It was a Greek conflict, Annabeth," Piper explained. "They don't know."

"Right," she said. "A son of Hades, Adolf Hitler, joined with his brothers in Japan and fought against Joseph Stalin, son of Zeus, and sons of Poseidon, Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Things got bad fast. A son of Ares, Benito Mussolini, eventually joined Hitler."

Rachel's eyes clouded with fear. "The Great Prophecy, the Big Three Pact, led to World War Two. It was almost the end of the world. And that was when almost all the fighting took place here, with demigods. The only godly death was..."

"Mamma," Nico whispered.

"They're fighting along the same lines," Reyna finished for Annabeth, which was good because she could barely keep it together. "Jupiter and Neptune fight against Pluto and Mars. But this time, they fight on Olympus."

"And the stakes are higher," Frank put in. "If Hecate wins, she takes Pluto's place on Olympus. If Pluto wins, he defeated both of his brothers, proved he's stronger than them both. He could start a rebellion and take Jupiter's place if he wanted to."

"Hecate has followers all over the world," Hazel realized. "She has an army already, even if both camps fall into chaos."

"And Pluto has the Artifacts of Thanatos," Alabaster concluded. "He could kill gods if he wants to."

They all stood there, waiting for an assurance that never came. Their extendable ears had been on the entire time, and the gods hadn't broken their silence. They sat there, huddled by the back door, until Chiron said he had to finish with the camp. Hestia agreed to join him, Artemis said she needed to speak to her Hunters, and Mr. D agreed their meeting was at an end. No one said a word. Not the gods, not the demigods.

Annabeth knew why. No one said anything because there was nothing to say. There was no way Mars and Athena would remain neutral. There was no way to predict who would go where. There was no way the conflict wouldn't escalate.

There was no way out. The end of the world had come.

Again.

**END NOTES**

I cannot wait for you to see next week's chapter...

About the snow: Snow is based on two things: temperature and the water cycle. Poseidon controls the water cycle. I figured that one quick favor from Khione and he could send the blizzard for Hecate.

Also Hitler's the only one who is canonically a son of Hades. Yes, Hades said "sons," but I figured there could be other Germans and Japanese sons of Hades. Since Italy is so closely tied to Rome, and Mussolini's whole ideology was about restoring Italy to its former Roman Empire glory, it makes sense to me that he'd be a son of Mars, not Hades.

This week's beta commentary:  
STORY: *beginning of doc*  
LISSY: That chapter that seems to be a commentary on current events despite the fact that it's not  
OLI: This Is A Metaphor For Politics [this was a title suggestion]  
OLI: metaphor or allegory?  
LISSY: Neither. God help me, neither.

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)  
Oli - Beta Reader (Tumblr paradoxicalpsychic)  
Suhalia - Beta Reader (Archive Of Our Own users/milkandtahoney/)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!


	16. Nico and Paul Have the Talk

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

Ron, Hermione, and Percy escape the mob. Nico has an unpleasant conversation with Paul.

WARNING: I have officially jumped the shark.

**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: No Audiences  
Content Warning: Cursing, Violence (mild), Loss of Your Innocence  
Word Count: 3360

I have read this chapter a thousand times. I have waited in earnest for my betas to read this chapter. I had to sit on my hands to keep from posting this chapter weeks in advance. I have been looking forward to this moment since I wrote this chapter (on July 19th!).

Be afraid, my friends. Be very, very afraid.

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_NICO_**

Nico stood in the middle of a mob somewhere in the Wizarding World. It looked vaguely like Hogsmeade, but much, much more urban. Spells flew all over the place, and people left and right were getting the crap beaten out of them. Standing in front of him was none other than Ron Weasley.

"Percy! Help me!" Ron shouted to his brother, judging by the red hair. No response. Percy was pale as a sheet behind him, frozen to the spot. "Percy! Hermione's going to die if we don't help her! Please, if we get out of here, no one from the Ministry will ever know!" Percy didn't answer. His horrified eyes darted around the scene. Ron grunted in frustration. "Come on!" He grabbed his brother's hand and dragged him through the throng until they reached the front.

A high-pitched shriek pierced Nico's ear. Was that why Ron was throwing himself into this mess? Ron took a gulp of air, let go of Percy's hand, and dove. Nico followed him under. There was blood, so much blood. How many people had already died in the mob?

It was hard for Ron to breathe. His gasps got more frequent, and his movements slowed. He fought through unconsciousness until he found mossy brown hair caked with dirt and blood. "Please, Merlin!" Ron shouted and reached out to it. He found a pair of shoulders, looped his arms around them, and yanked.

_Hermione. No... _

She was a bloody mess, caked in blood and grime, with a crushed nose to boot. "Percy, will you _please _help me?!" Ron shouted.

"So many people..." Percy whispered. "Why did they curse them?"

"Percy!"

Percy woke from his trance long enough to accept Hermione into his arms. The two of them stumbled past spell after spell, dodging a few punches and kicks on their way.

His dream changed. Mamma and Hades sat on a stone bench overlooking a canal. Nico remembered that place-the bench was right in front of their house in Venice. He and Bianca would sit there every day with Mamma, waiting for Nonno to come home from work. Sometimes they ate dinner there or watched the sunset. If they were misbehaving, Nonno put them on that bench for a time-out. When Papà came to visit, Mamma waited for him there as he and Bianca stood on chairs to peer out the front window. When he thought of his infancy in Venice, he thought of that bench.

Mamma held Hades' eye with a steel gaze, studying every feature on his face. She ran her hands over her skirt, smoothing out any wrinkles. Her foot tapped nervously on the pavement. Hades was silent and still as a statue as he held Mamma's gaze.

"You have done things I did not think were possible," she whispered. "But a god... what do I say? Greek gods... does the church lie to me?"

"Belief makes gods," Hades replied gently. It was the first time Nico ever heard him so tender. "The Egyptian and Norse gods exist, why not yours too? I once heard Thor challenged Jesus to a duel, but Jesus never showed. It might be true."

"He is a pacifist." Mamma laughed softly. "This is _pazzo_. [crazy.] But I believe it. This changes nothing." Hades honest-to-gods smiled to himself. "I suppose I should have known..." she mused.

"How?" Hades asked.

"I know the stories. When a Greek god comes, _lei rimane incinta_. [she becomes pregnant.] One night in Washington, and I am with child."

"You're pregnant?"

"You know that," Mamma snapped. "I do not like those who lie to me. Why would you come to me in Italy, when Olympus is in America, unless you knew?"

"I didn't know. I came because I wanted to see you."

"Do you love me?"

"I would do anything for you, Maria!"

She smiled. "Then _concedimi un favore_. [Grant me a favor.] For the child."

"Name it. I swear on the River Styx."

Mamma took his hand. She pressed a soft kiss to his lips. When she pulled away, she met his eye with fire in hers. "Padre is an important man. I entertain many people in my home because of his work. When I ask, you must come and pretend to be my husband. It will not be often; I will say you are Mr. Andrew Devin, an American businessman and in Germany for work. But when I ask, you will be by my side."

Nico had to admire Mamma's courage. It was a lot to ask of a god. Hades wasn't definitely wasn't happy. "You swore," Mamma pressed. "Understand, I will not hurt my father's _reputazione_ [reputation] over my sin. _Politica_ [politics] are dangerous today. I must keep him safe."

Hades, of course, gave in. "My smiths will make you the finest ring in the world. And when you call, I will be there."

"Thank you, my love. Padre will be home any minute, and I will tell him about our child." She shot him a teasing smile. "Stay at your own risk."

Hades stood immediately. He kissed Mamma's hand, then melted into the shadows.

Nico woke in the Hades cabin, the drama in the Wizarding World forgotten with his dream. He had bigger fish to fry with war looming on the horizon. Summer campers would be arriving all day today like Chiron promised Artemis, Hestia, and Mr. D last night. The camp would be at full capacity, and, by tomorrow, planning for the war would begin. Even if Chiron wanted to keep things secret, his friends all agreed that they would spread the word. Everyone had to be prepared with so much at stake.

"You're up!" Hazel cried. Nico looked down from his bunk to see his sister folding clothes on her bed. Her suitcase was open on the floor.

"You're leaving?" Nico asked.

Hazel nodded. "Lupa called all the campers back to Camp Jupiter like Chiron did. We need to train with the cohorts. Reyna said we're leaving tonight, after Capture the Flag."

Nico slid out of bed and wrapped his sister in a hug. "Stay safe, okay? For me."

"Are you going somewhere?"

Nico grabbed his aviator's jacket from its hook and zipped it up over his pajamas. "I need to talk to Paul. I'll find you before you leave, don't worry."

With that, he was off. The truth was, he needed information about what was happening. He got the gist of last night's news, but everyone was terrified of the gods' alliances-more than he was. And his mother was the only casualty last time. That didn't seem right. He was the one most affected by that war; he should be more afraid than anyone, yet he seemed to be frightened the least out of all of them. He was missing something, he knew it.

He saw Paul alone on the Big House porch, drinking a cup of gas station coffee. "Paul!" Nico called as he jogged over.

Paul smiled over his coffee. "Good morning, Nico. Your friend Cecil gave this to me this morning. The Big House has no coffee machine."

Nico laughed. "The Hermes kids love robbing the stores nearby. They're good at sneaking out. So, I need to ask you something. I know you were an English teacher, but maybe you heard stuff from the history department?"

Paul chuckled. "A lot of things. What is it?"

"Who's Adolf Hitler?"

Paul slowly lowered his coffee cup. "Who was your World History teacher, Nico?"

"I never took it. I missed sophomore year for the quest, remember?"

Paul nodded. "Good. I thought I was going to have to fire somebody. Um, why the-sudden-interest?"

Nico lowered his eyes. "There's some bad stuff happening, and it's supposed to be a godly version of... um, World War Two-that's the name, right? It sucks that there was another one, by the way-and Annabeth mentioned that the Italians were fighting with Germany, and I know Mamma used to say Hades was her husband away on business in Germany. This war might be related, you know? Plus, the leader, Adolf Hitler, was a son of Hades and so I want to know more about my half-brother."

Paul choked on his coffee. "Your... half-brother? You know what, Nico, I don't think this is that important. They're all dead, and-"

"If you won't tell me I'll find Annabeth's computer and look it up on Wikipedia."

"No! Don't do that, please. I'll tell you." Paul hesitated, then grabbed Nico's hands. "This was all a long time ago, Nico, you do understand that?"

"Yeah, I know. It's okay, Paul, I promise you whatever it is, I saw worse in Tartarus. I can handle it."

Paul sighed. "When did Hades put you in the Lotus?"

"1939."

"So you lived in fascist Italy, then."

"...what's 'fascist' mean?"

Paul took a deep breath. "Okay. Nevermind. So, Hitler was the dictator of Germany. You know what a dictator is?"

"Yeah, Mussolini was one, Mamma said. It means 'leader of a country' right? But in a bad way."

"Basically, yes. At the end of 1939, Hitler invaded Poland and started another World War. It was even worse than the first one. Thirty-seven million died in World War One, eighty million died in World War Two, just to give you an idea. It was bad, and a lot of that, um..."

Paul's silence gave Nico time to take that in. Nonno fought in the Great War, and his stories were so terrifying that Mamma forbade him from telling him and Bianca. But Nonno always said that Nico had to know. As a kid, he'd wanted to be a soldier like Nonno, and so Nonno did everything he could to prep Nico for it. He was really proud his grandson was going to follow in his footsteps, but he never sugar coated anything. If the second Great War was even worse... no wonder everyone was so afraid.

"Why did my brother start the war?" Nico asked.

Paul flinched a little. "He's not your brother, Nico, don't say that. And, why is... complicated. It doesn't matter right now. The thing is, he wasn't a nice person. He was one of, if not the most, evil men who ever lived. He wanted land because he wanted to kill people he didn't like. If you weren't Aryan-ethnically German-you were dead. He targeted the Jews, Catholics, black people, people with disabilities... and, um, gay people. He put them in camps and worked them to death, and when that didn't work fast enough, he put them in gas chambers and sprayed them with pesticide until they died."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what?" Nico's head was spinning. He was related to... how could... no, this wasn't... but... "How long did this go on for?" he asked, grasping at straws. A terrifying thought entered his brain, and he needed it not to be true.

"Six years," Paul told him. "When it was clear Germany wasn't going to win, Hitler committed suicide in 1945."

"So... no one killed him?"

"No, no one killed him."

"And the Americans were fighting him, right?"

"Yes. Nico, are you all right?"

Was he all right? The answer was a big, fat no. After what happened with Harry, Nico swore never to jump to conclusions, but that thought in his brain wasn't a jump, it was a step. A step he had to make, a step that made his insides catch on fire.

Why would the Fates send him dreams about his parents, of all things? Especially their courtship? Persephone's quest had nothing to do with that.

_Why did Hades come to you in Italy, Mamma? You were fighting against his son's friend. You were trying to ruin his son's plans. He was the one who took your messages to the Americans, he insisted on it. Why would a god father __two__ children with the same woman, and stay there for more than a __decade_ _without getting bored and leaving? That never __ever__ happens. He's a god. He could smite anyone with a wave of his hand. He __let__ his son start a war. He __let__ his son kill people. No wonder he doesn't care about me. I was a side project. He was there to sabotage you. His son was a monster... and he protected him._

"How many people did he gas, Paul?"

Paul hesitated for a second time. Nico dreaded every second of silence. "Sixteen million."

Nico dropped to his knees and vomited right there on the Big House porch.

**_RON_**

Ron was alone in his room when he heard a knock on the door. "Yeah?"

Percy walked in and slowly closed the door. "How's Hermione?" he asked.

"Okay. Mum's looking after her. She won't have to go to St. Mungo's."

"Good. I was just talking to her dad. He's out of his mind."

" 'Course he is. It's his daughter."

Percy walked further into the room. Ron waited for him to sit down, but he didn't. His brother stared out the window, watching Fred, George, Charlie, and Ginny playing Quidditch in their yard. "I'm sorry I broke down like that. I shouldn't have, but... all those people. Why would the Ministry do any of this?"

Ron shifted uncomfortably. "You didn't meet Umbridge. The Ministry's doing everything they can to stay in power. I don't think Fudge has a limit."

"How did Harry really die, Ron?"

Ron was speechless. How could Percy know the Whomping Willow story was fake? But, in the silence, Percy turned to him with a dark, serious expression. He meant business. He wouldn't take denial, he would press Ron until he got the truth out of him, that was clear. Percy had many faults, but intelligence was not one of them. He would get it out of Ron no matter what he said or did. It was only a matter of the easy way or hard way, and Ron didn't feel like playing games. Worrying about Hermione sapped all his energy.

"How did you know that was a lie?"

"Because Hermione wouldn't be that reckless unless something bigger was going on. She would've known she couldn't stop things from escalating. So, what gives?"

Ron took a deep breath. "Tom Riddle-that's You-Know-Who's real name-came back, Percy. I know you don't want to believe it, but it's true. Three American exchange students, Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Nico di Angelo, came to Hogwarts last year, but they weren't really exchange students. They were sent to kill Riddle by Nico di Angelo's father. Riddle had these things called horcruxes that kept him alive after Harry killed him as a baby. Harry was one of them. When he found out, he went to Nico and asked him to kill him. Nico did. We destroyed the other horcruxes together last December. There was a huge battle on the Hogwarts grounds, and Nico dueled with Riddle and killed him. That's how Harry died. He sacrificed himself to save the Wizarding World."

Percy took it all in, still staring at his siblings' Quidditch match. "And why don't we know about the battle, then?"

"I don't know. Hermione and I asked Dumbledore the same question. No one remembers it except the Order and Hermione and me. Maybe some death eaters too, but they're all either dead or in Azkaban."

"The Ministry wiped their memories," Percy declared. Ron didn't like how sure he sounded. "They can do it on muggles, so there's no reason they didn't do it on wizards. If they could send Umbridge to Hogwarts and cover Riddle's return for so long, putting the Wizarding World in jeopardy, why would they care about cursing some students?"

"But they didn't do that to me. I don't remember them at Hogwarts at all."

"Because they did it remotely. I'm not supposed to say this, but they're working on ways to wipe the minds of muggles from a distance. As long as they were close enough to Hogwarts to see it, they could do it. The Ministry probably saw this as a nice way to test their capabilities. That's why the Order wasn't affected; they weren't in Hogwarts. I'm sure the Minister knew no one would believe the Order if they told; he's done a pretty damn good job discrediting their former members."

"But why wouldn't Hermione and me-"

"Merlin protected us." Ron and Percy both jumped. There in the doorway was Hermione, banged up and pale. Ron leaped to his feet and helped her over to the bed. "Thanks," she heaved, tired from walked down from the attic. "The threat of war never went away after the first of January. Merlin knew it was coming, he told me so when we spoke yesterday. He chose us to be his champions, to protect the Wizarding World. That's why he appeared to me in the first place, to tell me what was happening and, in his words, 'Prepare yourself, and do what you can to keep this world from chaos. Be my champion, and protect my lands.' "

"You remember his exact words?" Ron asked.

Hermione looked at him, a small smile on her lips. "I'll never forget meeting that god. Wait until you meet one, and you'll know why."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait!" Percy cried. "What do you mean god?! Merlin was a wizard, and he's been dead for centuries!"

"The Greek and Roman gods are real," Ron said. "Percy was a son of Poseidon, the god of the sea, Annabeth was a daughter of Athena, the goddess of wisdom, and Nico was a son of Hades, Lord of the Dead. I said Nico's dad sent him to kill Riddle. That's why. Riddle cheated death twice and Hades was angry."

Percy collapsed onto the bed next to Ron and Hermione. "I... I can't believe this."

"It's true," Hermione verified. "We saw enough proof with our own eyes. They were more powerful than you can believe. And when I saw Merlin... he had to be a god. He was walking miracle."

Ron knew it would take time for Percy to process all that, so it was no surprise that he changed the subject immediately. "The Wizarding World has to know about... Riddle... and Harry's death and what the Ministry did to Hogwarts. Someone has to stop Fudge, or we'll have a king for the first time in centuries. I... froze at the mob because... I'm the informant. All those people got hurt, everything happened, all because of me. I overheard Fudge and the department heads at a meeting and... it took a lot to get word to Wizarding Weekly without showing my face, but I had to. I can't work for a government like this. I won't work for people who go this far for power. That's why I came back. I realized I picked the wrong side."

"How far does this conspiracy go, Percy?" Hermione asked. "You have to know more than this if you put yourself in so much danger."

Percy closed his eyes. His whole body was shaking horribly. "All the department heads are in on it. I already suspected it, but now I'm sure that they all knew Riddle came back. I meant to wait a few weeks before revealing the rest, snoop some until I was sure whether the Heads really did know he was back and were outright lying to the public. Now I do."

Ron squeezed his brother's hand, trying to give him some sense of comfort. "What are you going to do, then?"

Percy took a deep breath. "The Minister's Christmas Eve radio broadcast. I'll use it to tell everyone all this-except the gods, Merlin knows why I believe you myself. I set the equipment up for Fudge. If the Order helps me take out the other Ministry personnel I can take over the broadcast. It'll be hard to organize in thirty-six hours, but it's the only way to make sure everyone hears. No one misses that broadcast, ever. The whole Wizarding World will hear the truth and no one can cover it up."

Ron stared at him in pure terror. "You don't mean..."

But in Percy's eye was a dark, terrifying determination. "I'm going infiltrate the Ministry."

**END NOTES**

To end this glorious chapter, let me read from my planner:

CH 16 (12/23)  
EVERYONE: Dear gods she is not going there.  
ME: Oh, I'm GOING there.

Hey, if Uncle Rick didn't want us thinking about this, he shouldn't have made Adolph Hitler a son of Hades.

(Also the "who was your world history teacher, Nico?" joke is one of my favorite jokes in the whole fic.)

Okay, time for an actual note: Percy's in shock that gods spoke to Ron and Hermione and that there are gods in the first place (and that Merlin is one), not that the Greek gods exist. Like Ron, he didn't know who the Greek gods were. I couldn't find a place to clarify this in the actual fic without it seeming super out of place.

PS: the beta commentary is gold

PPS: Andrew Devin means "divine man" because I have a stupid sense of humor. I like too much, ok?! (Hey, Nico di Angelo means "victory of the people of angels" so I can't be the only writer who likes foreshadowing via character names). (Short form of Nikodemos, a Greek compound name composed of the elements nikē (victory) and dēmos (people, population): hence, "victory of the people." and di Angelo means "of angels.")

SOURCES:  
History on the Net /how-many-people-died-in-ww1  
Encyclopedia USHMM /content/en/article/documenting-numbers-of-victims-of-the-holocaust-and-nazi-persecution  
National WW2 Museum /students-teachers/student-resources/research-starters/research-starters-worldwide-deaths-world-war  
Behind the Name /name/andrew  
Surnames Behind the Name /name/devin-2

This week's beta commentary:  
STORY: [This was an email so its kinda cheating but whatever]  
LISSY: Chapter 16 goes up in two days! Also I am so, so excited for you to read it... I either jumped the shark or... yeah, yeah I jumped the shark.  
LISSY: So? What did you think of the Hitler chapter? (Why am I so excited about taking everyone's innocence from them?)  
OLI: yeah u have an unhealthy obsession with lost innocence XD and lord nico learning about hitler was Good(TM)  
LISSY: Did you ever put two and two together? I mean, I've been reading these books since the beginning (and I mean BEGINNING) and I didn't realize until a few days before I decided to write a sequel. And I cried myself to sleep that night I was like BABY NO

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author ( .com)  
Oli - Beta Reader ( .com)  
Suhalia - Beta Reader ( users/milkandtahoney/)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)  
Oli - Beta Reader (Tumblr paradoxicalpsychic)  
Suhalia - Beta Reader (Archive Of Our Own users/milkandtahoney/)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!

**COMMENTS**

**ShadeFireDragon**

_Another war? Man, this is crazy XD_

Now that Persephone's quest is done, I needed a plot, didn't I? And we always knew the conflict could escalate into a war.


	17. Bianca, Stop Maiming Your Brother

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

Cho boards Charon's ferry. Nico runs into Rachel Elizabeth Dare.  


**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: General Audiences  
Content Warning: Violene (mild)  
Word Count: 3967

REMINDER: In the Coming of Nico di Angelo, Will's mom is Jewish. I'm saying Jew as in Jewish descent. Not like Will practices Judaism. Maybe he does. I don't really know.

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_CHO_**

Cho sat on a leather couch in a crowded room. The walls were the color of steel. The only sound came from soft piano music playing from speakers attached to the walls. No one spoke or moved. She sat in silence, waiting. For what? She didn't know.

There was something heavy in her pocket. She took it out. It was a coin of some kind, made of bronze. She didn't know how it got there, but she somehow knew it was important. She put it back in her pocket before anyone else could see it.

A man entered and sat behind the security desk, which was on a raised platform so high that she had to crane her neck to see his face. He was a black man with his blond hair in a buzzcut. He wore a tan, silk Italian suit and tortoise-shell sunglasses so dark that Cho could see her reflection in them. There was a black lapel in his suit pocket and a silver name tag. Cho squinted at it. "Charon."

She stood. Hundreds of eyes followed her as she walked to the security desk. Charon's back was to her. He was thumbing through thousands of pieces of paper, sorting them into different piles, mumbling to himself as he placed each one.

"Visa, Visa, Amex, Time Warner Cable, Visa, T-Mobile-who uses T-Mobile anymore?-Amex, Amex..."

Cho looked a little higher, just to get a closer look at him, when he stopped what he was doing. She ducked under the platform just in time. It was dark and earthy down there, damp, cold. Charon's shoes turned away from her, and she heard, "Time Warner Cable, Verizon, MasterCard, Visa..."

Cho tried to crawl out, but it was too dark for her to see anything but Charon's shoes. She started shaking with fear, but there was no other way. She crawled towards the shoes. Silent as a shadow, she wiggled her way out from under the platform. Charon's back was inches from her nose. She backed away slowly. Then, she froze. She couldn't move another step.

That's when a man melted out of the shadows. He was nothing more than a long, black cloak. Afraid he would see her, she ducked under the security desk.

"Will you take off that damn thing, Thanatos?" Charon grumbled. "How many millennia will it take for you to get over your grim reaper act?"

Thanatos lowered his hood but refused to take off the rest of the cloak. It took all of Cho's might not to faint at the sight of him. He was... there was no other word for it but angelic. Her whole body shook worse than before. He looked a little Middle Eastern, with dark, tanned skin and jet black hair that fell to his shoulders. His eyes were honey gold. His nose, face, and chin were chiseled like a Greek statue. He even had wings. She couldn't tear her eyes from him.

"Humans fear the Reaper," Thanatos said.

Charon huffed. "How many do you have for me?"

"300,000."

Charon cursed. "That's a fifty percent increase! It was up forty percent yesterday. Hades doesn't pay me enough for this!" He glared at the papers on the desk. "If I have to add 'deathday tax' to one more bill I'll march into the palace myself and-"

"Careful, brother," Thanatos warned, his voice dangerously low, "the Lord of the Dead is not in a good mood today."

"Really? I thought an extra 150,000 souls meant he decided to call off the war!"

Thanatos put a finger to his lips. Charon caught himself. Apparently, this war wasn't something they wanted people knowing about. Thanatos practically breathed his next words to Charon. "Our Queen refuses to tell Hades where she disposed of my Artifacts. He is livid. Macaria warned me not to come near the palace today, despite my daily briefing with Hades. She said, at last count, they have set fifty-two curses upon each other."

"When did our Lord ask for your Artifacts?"

"About an hour ago."

Charon sighed. "They always do this. Queen Persephone will get her senses back soon, and they'll have make up sex on the council table."

Thanatos sighed. "I'm amazed Lord Hades hasn't thrown you in Tartarus, the way you test him, Charon. The Queen is right. We have enough to throttle Hecate without such weapons."

Charon raised an eyebrow. "Is that regret I hear in your voice, brother?"

Darkness filled the room, the shadows were bottomless pits, and it dropped ten degrees. No one noticed but Charon, Thanatos, and herself.

"The only thing I regret is that Nico di Angelo ever reunited them. The Artifacts were useful in their time, but they should've been disposed of forever. No one should have them, not even Lord Hades."

Despite the intimidating atmosphere, Charon kept his cool. "You didn't always think that way, Thanatos."

"Yes," Thanatos breathed through clenched teeth, "and the Fates taught me a lesson I will never forget." He threw a clipboard into Charon's hands, but his anger was subtle enough that no one from the outside would've seen it as a hostile act. "Here are your passengers. I suggest you invest in a bigger boat. If things continue in this way, by December 25th you'll have four billion souls clamoring for the ferry."

Charon thumbed through the list, grumbling, "Fifty percent increase, will Lord Hades ever think of me? No, I'm just the boatman..."

Thanatos threw his hood up again. The moment the it covered his face, he disappeared.

"What are you doing under my desk, girl?" came Charon's booming voice. A violent hand ripped her from under the table. Cho... she was remembering something... what did that remind her of...?

Without an answer to give Charon, Cho thrust the coin into his hand.

"A Greek drachma?" Charon mused. "All right, who's child are you? Apollo? You've got prophecy in you, I can tell."

"I'm..." Cho struggled to remember the word. "I'm a witch."

"A witch?" It dawned on Charon what that meant. "A follower of Hecate. You'll have to take a seat there, girl. Believe me, you'll thank me for this later." Cho reached to take the coin from him, but he caught her hand. "No, I'll take this with me as a nice thank you."

"It's mine!" Cho jumped up and ripped the coin from his hand and held it to her chest like she was Sora's age.

Charon's hungry eyes stayed on the coin, but the rest of him looked mildly impressed. "How did you die, girl?" he asked.

"I went to a protest. There was a mob. I tried to save my friend, there were these three wizards, I knocked out two, but the last one got me." All the memories came flooding back. Cho couldn't stop herself from speaking. "I knew I shouldn't've gone to that protest, but I had to! I had to know how Harry died!"

Charon's eyes fell from the coin back to her face. "Harry Potter?" His voice was deadly calm. "You knew him, didn't you? Did you know the Americans?"

"I was friends with Annabeth Chase," she remembered. "You mentioned Nico di Angelo. What do you want with him? If Thanatos kills him, I'll- I'll-"

Charon laughed. "No one's touching the bossman's son, even if they are estranged. Hades always had a soft spot for him, more than usual with his kids. What's your name?"

"Cho Chang."

"Well, Cho Chang, you can keep your drachma. You've earned yourself a ticket to the right side of the Styx-I deliver you to Lord Hades, and I'll have the pay raise of a lifetime."

Before Cho knew what was happening, her arms and legs were chained together, a blindfold and gag were tied around her face, and she was thrown to the bottom of a very smelly boat.

**_NICO_**

* * *

_"Bianca, lift me!" Six-year-old Nico pointed to a tree branch just out of his reach. He loved climbing. Every afternoon, he would run to the trees in their backyard in la Valle d'Aosta and scramble to the highest branch._

_"I'm making flower crowns!"_

_"Biancaaaaaaa!" Nico pulled on her arm._

_Bianca snatched her arm away. So, Nico resorted to desperate measures. He started chanting:_

_"There once was a king, / Sitting on the sofa, / He said to his maid / Tell me a story, / And the maid began:"_

_"Nico, quiet!"_

_"There once was a king, / Sitting on the sofa, / He said to his maid / Tell me a story, / And the maid began:"_

_"NICO!" Red in the face, Bianca pushed him to the ground. Nico fell hard on his shoulder. Searing pain shot through his arm. He screamed._

_Mamma and Nonno ran outside at Nico's yell. "What happened?!" Mamma cried. "Bianca! Did you push your brother?!"_

_"He sung that song again, the one that goes on forever! I wanted him to stop and he wouldn't stop!"_

_"Go to your room. No books, no dinner. Do you understand?"_

_"Nico isn't hurt, is he?"_

_"Do. You. Understand. Bianca?"_

_"Yes, Mamma. I apologize, Nico, I never meant to hurt you..." Bianca ran inside, crying tears of guilt._

_"Will you look, Padre? You know medicine better than I."_

_Nonno kneeled next to Nico. "Nico, your arm, please." Nico tried to move his arm, but screamed in pain. Nonno took his hand for him and moved it all different ways; each time, Nico screamed. "It's dislocated."_

_Mamma made a pitiful sound. "The doctor is an hour away."_

_"I'll relocate it before we take the automobile to the doctor. Now, Nico, listen to Nonno. Soldiers get hurt, too. They take it with courage and strength. Will you be a soldier for me today?" Through his tears, Nico nodded. "Good, Take a big, deep breath, and stop this crying. Crying helps no one. On the count of three. One-"_

_Nonno, a dirty cheater, did it on one. There was a sharp pain in Nico's shoulder, and he wanted to cry, but managed not to. When Nonno was done, Nico fell into his grandpa's arms, tired from the whole ordeal. "Fetch Bianca," Nonno said. "She sees what happened to her brother, she'll never push him again."_

_Mamma ran into the house. Nonno winked at Nico. "You're a strong, courageous man, Nico. You'll make a fine hero someday."_

* * *

Nico heard a triumphant scream coming from the cabins. He blinked a few times; it was always hard to get his bearings after a memory slapped him in the face. He ran a finger down a small indent in the bark of his tree.

_Guess this isn't my first tree after all. _

Country boy to spooky Underworld boy to city boy. What a journey his life was, with more twists and turns in seventeen years than most people got in a lifetime. Usually, a thought like that would depress him, but here, safe in his tree, he felt strangely optimistic. He'd been through so much, everything life threw at him, and he was still here. Maybe his mind was still in 1935 _la Valle d'Aosta_, but, for once, he was calm. Which was good, because he had a lot to process.

What did he know? His half-brother started the war that killed his mother and, in part, led to the Pact that ruined his life. He killed sixteen million people; Jews like Will and Will's mother, black people like Blaise, homosexuals like himself. Hades did nothing to stop his reign of terror. He courted Maria di Angelo, a spy fighting against allies of that monster, and could easily keep her letters from ever reaching the Americans.

That's what he knew. That's _all _he knew. He didn't know why-even if-Hades protected Hitler, if he sabotaged Mamma's work, if he was using Mamma, loved her like he claimed in Nico's dreams, or both.

But none of it mattered now. Hitler was dead, Mamma was dead, and Nico renounced Hades a year ago. The only person this could affect was Hazel, if she wanted to renounce Pluto too, but there was no way he'd tell his sister any of this unless she asked him directly. She didn't need to know if she didn't want to know.

Nico saw a figure standing by the fire pit. Maybe Hestia (the goddess) could help him sort out his feelings. He made his way down. "Hey, Hestia! Can I talk to you?"

The girl looked up from the flames. It wasn't Hestia. It was Rachel Elizabeth Dare, looking worse than Nico had ever seen her. She walked lopsided, there were large bags under bloodshot eyes and tufts of knotted red hair.

She didn't notice Nico. In fact, she took a step forward and fell into him. "Whoa, Rachel!" He did his best to steady her. "Are you drunk?"

Rachel's head snapped up. He looked at her with crazed eyes, unfocused, like she was staring through a kaleidoscope. Nico had to hold himself back from throwing up for the second time that day.

Rachel shouldn't look like that. She shouldn't look like May Castellan.

"The river consumes you!"

"Rachel, snap out of it!" Nico shouted. He tried to pull her away from him, but she wouldn't budge.

"Beware the river! Beware!"

Nico yanked her off his shirt. The moment they broke contact, she collapsed, shaking like mad. Nico looked around. There was no one in sight. Nico cursed. Everyone was in their cabins, preparing for Capture the Flag. He couldn't risk carrying Rachel in case she freaked out again, and he couldn't leave her alone like this, but she needed help, and fast.

He laid Rachel down by the firepit, and threw his aviator's jacket over her in an attempt to warm her up. Light snow already peppered Rachel's face and hands. She coughed violently; her whole body spasmed so much that Nico had to hold her down, or she'd hit one of the benches and crack her head open. A minute later, she calmed and opened her eyes. Nico breathed a sigh of relief.

"This isn't the Big House," she pushed out. Her voice was so weak.

"No, it's the campfire," Nico told her. "What's wrong with you? You, uh..." Rachel waited expectantly, but he didn't want to say it. "Um, you were like May Castellan for a second."

To her credit, Rachel didn't throw up at the bad news. She had one up on Nico. "What did I say?" she asked.

He repeated it for her. "Do you have any idea what that means?"

"No," Rachel said. "The Spirit of Delphi's been restless lately. I'm okay, though, help me up."

"You're shivering like crazy, Rachel. I should get Will."

"No!" Nico jumped. How had her voice gotten that sharp so quickly? Rachel slung her arm around his shoulders. "Take me to the dining pavilion. Capture the Flag is about to start. I want to watch."

Nico shook his head and picked her up instead. "You're getting into bed. If I kill the Oracle, I'll never be allowed into camp again." Rachel protested, but he cut her off. "I won't put you in the infirmary, I promise. Where in Tartarus do you sleep, anyway?"

"I have a cave."

"A cave."

"Yep."

"Why do you sleep in a cave?"

"Tradition. And Apollo wouldn't stop talking about it, so we just rolled with it. We built it at the same time as the Hades cabin. You didn't see it yet?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "Between Gaea and Riddle, I didn't have much time to explore the new sites. Direct me."

It was on the outskirts of the camp. A purple curtain covered the mouth of the cave, and two torches, one on each side, kept everything bright under the thick cover of trees and setting sun.

"I forgot we're playing Capture the Flag in the dark," Nico said.

"I'd like to see that."

"Too bad. If you step out of this cave, I'll tell my boyfriend, and you'll be stuck in the infirmary."

"You can't blackmail the Oracle."

"I just did. Help me with that curtain, I've got an Oracle in my arms."

The inside of the cave resembled a lounge more than anything else. There was a massive sofa with throw pillows, a beanbag chair, a mini fridge, and a lava lamp on a geometric coffee table. Nico laid her down on the bed. The mattress laid inches from the floor, Japanese-style.

Rachel pointed to the walls, filled with vibrant, vivid paintings. "I draw my dreams. It helps me to sort through my prophecies."

"It's beautiful, Rachel." He stared at the images with childlike wonder. "This is what I want to do one day."

"You want to paint?"

"I want to make the world more beautiful. Leave a stranger something that can save them from a rainy day." Nico let out an embarrassed laugh. "Doesn't sound like me, I know."

"No, it makes perfect sense." Rachel said, a softness in her voice. She gave Nico a little more time to stare at the paintings. They were mesmerizing. "Nico... do you want to talk about last night?"

Nico plopped onto the sofa. "No, but I got a feeling we're going to. And, can we keep it in this century? Paul filled me in on what-who-I, uh, missed, and I _really _don't want to talk about it."

It took a second for Rachel to figure out what he meant. "Oh... oh, oh my gods-I didn't even think of that. I'm sorry that... sucks?"

Nico burst out laughing. "Yeah, yeah it does. So, talk. You have until the conch shell."

Rachel traced a painting above the head of her bed. It was, Nico realized, the Artifacts of Thanatos reunited: the Cloak spiraled over and around the Staff like a ring of smoke, beginning and ending in the center of the glowing Orb. "Nico, it's _you_."

"What do you mean?"

"The Spirit of Delphi's been restless since you left for Montana without your prophecy. I thought it would be over when you got back, but obviously not."

Nico felt a pit in his stomach. "I'm sorry. I didn't know it would make you sick."

"No one did. Look at the painting. I had this dream after last year's Solstice meeting, the night we found out you ran away, and learned the true nature of the prophecy. Look at the circles. The Cloak never ends, the Orb and Staff are both made of curved lines. I didn't see it then, but I see it now: your quest never ended. This is part two. It's a continuation, a circle. There was always more to come, and you will be the key."

"I don't want to be anyone's damn key. I did Persephone's dirty work for her. This isn't my problem anymore. I gave up my demigod status for a reason. I don't want anything to do with this."

"You can't stop the Fates."

"The Fates can fuck off."

Rachel dropped her hand from the painting. "Have you had any dreams?"

He shifted in his chair. "Yeah. I've seen my Mamma and Hades from before I was born, and, this morning, the Wizarding World. Something's wrong there, but I don't know exactly what."

The conch shell sounded. Rachel met his eye. "I know you have to go, but, you need your prophecy. They happen whether you know them or not. They aren't self-fulfilling like Hecate's. Prophecies are tools, not weapons."

Nico stood. "I know, Rachel. I'm sorry you're suffering, but I can't, not yet." Nico had to blink back a sudden onslaught of tears. Nonno's words came back to him. "I should be a hero, but I'm not. I gave up my demigod status for a reason. I've always been my own agent. Prophecies aren't for people like me. I'm not... strong or courageous enough. You, this world... it terrifies me."

Rachel reached out a feverish hand. Nico took it. "I know."

_CHO_

Cho may have been lying in that boat, bound and gagged, for minutes, hours, days, or weeks. Time itself stopped on that boat. The trance of death that controlled her actions in Charon's waiting room was gone, she was fully human again, and beyond terrified. She was being taken to that Lord Hades they were going on about, and probably Queen Persephone too. They didn't have any nice words for Hecate, and Charon called her a "follower of Hecate." Cho didn't know what that meant, except for the fact that she wouldn't find any mercy with this so-called Lord of the Dead.

_Why do Lords of the Dead like ruining my life? _

The boat lurched to a stop. Despite her muffled protests, Charon dragged her all the way to wherever they were going. As hard as she squirmed, kicked, and punched, nothing could save her. Less than a day after she swore not to be a damsel in distress, she was tied up, gagged, blindfolded, kidnapped, and, oh yeah, dead.

Charon threw her to the ground, hard. She fell onto what felt like marble. When Charon removed her blindfold, it turned out it wasn't marble, but bronze. Her cage was made of thick, clear, smooth crystal, its walls two stories high.

In front of her sat two ten-foot tall figures in matching thrones. If Thanatos had been overwhelming, one look at the woman made Cho's legs turn to jelly. She was perfect, beautiful, a teenager who could've been the model for every great work of art Cho had ever seen.

But, that was nothing compared to the man beside her. He was so... so _divine _that Cho couldn't focus on him long enough to figure out what he looked like. She shouldn't have looked at the man, but now that she did, she couldn't tear her eyes away. The longer she stared at him, the worse things got. She started hyperventilating, her heart raced, no part of her body could support itself; she felt like she was melting in this crystal cage under the eye of someone too miraculous to comprehend.

Thick, green vines erupted from the floor, obscuring her view of the man and woman sitting in the thrones. "You said she was a demigod!" the man, presumably Hades, erupted. "That girl is mortal! She would not have reacted like that if she had a drop of divine blood in her!"

"The girl is weak, my lord, but has magic in her, I assure you."

"You have tried my patience for the last time, Charon," Hades warned.

Cho stood, straining for a view. She needed to know what was going on.

"My lord!" Persephone shouted. "He's right! The girl has not faded!"

"Well then," Hades said, his anger more controlled now, "resend the vines, my dove. Let's see what litter Charon fished from the Styx this time."

The vines snaked back into the ground. Now prepared for what she was about to see, the sight didn't incapacitate her like before. She still had to sit in the corner of the cage and couldn't take her eyes off the man, but she wasn't dying anymore. Or fading, as they called it.

"My lord," Charon announced, "may I present-"

"Cho Chang." Hades finished, rising from his throne in absolute shock. A smile spread across his face. "You're still in trouble for lying to me, Charon, but you won't be Cerberus's lunch today. Now get out of my sight."

Hades shrank to an average human height as he stepped towards Cho. She cowered on instinct, shaking all over. Hades looked at her like she was an interesting museum exhibit. "We should pick up where we left off later, Persephone."

"That's a good idea, my lord. Truce." She shrank too, and joined her husband by Cho's cage. "Welcome to the Underworld, Cho Chang. Be honored. You will be a big help in winning this war."

**END NOTES**

You didn't think I'd waste a perfectly good character, did you? Kill off and stay dead?! Pfft. Not today, readers, not today.

This week's beta commentary:  
STORY: Rachel shouldn't look like that. She shouldn't look like May Castellan  
OLI: Has Nico ever seen May? Or does he just know about her from Percy?  
LISSY: He was the one who brought Percy to meet her remember? In the Last Olympian?  
OLI: apparently i remember nothing  
LISSY: It's okay. 99% of my first draft was basically "this is a cool Greek thing that Riordan never mentioned... oh wait... right... that was a... major plot point..."

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)  
Oli - Beta Reader (Tumblr paradoxicalpsychic)  
Suhalia - Beta Reader (Archive Of Our Own users/milkandtahoney/)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!


	18. Alabaster Out-Slytherins Slytherin

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

Hades and Persephone interrogate Cho. Ron, Hermione, and Percy discuss their plans with the Order. Camp Half-Blood plays Capture the Flag.  


**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: General Audiences  
Content Warning: None  
Word Count: 3840

This is the last one for today.

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_ANNABETH_**

The plan was simple. So simple, in fact, that there was no way for it to go wrong.

The Athena cabin ran into the dining pavilion with their team's flag: a silver banner with an owl on top of an olive tree. Then came Ares, with their blood-red flag with a bloody spear and boar's head. The entire camp cheered as the two cabins waved the flags on their respective sides of the pavilion.

Everyone dispersed to chat, trash-talk, and gather armor, weapons, and magical items for the upcoming game. Annabeth headed towards Percy, standing with Nico, Hazel, Blaise, Hestia, and Lou Ellen.

"Hey, wise girl," Percy said. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in for a quick kiss. "So, who's on our team?"

Annabeth shoved him away, laughing. "You really wait until the last minute, don't you, seaweed brain? It's Athena, Poseidon, Dionysus, Aphrodite, Demeter, and Hecate. Ares has Hephaestus, Zeus, Apollo, Hermes, the minor gods, and the Hunters."

Percy groaned. "Your cabin couldn't make some deals? The red team has the three biggest cabins and both archer gods? And all the minor gods except Hecate?"

"You know the minor gods put together have about as much as the Hermes cabin. They aren't that much of a threat in population. We'll be fine."

"Still unfair," Nico contributed. "I wonder who sucked whose-"

"They collected on a few favors," Will said from behind them before Nico could say something that would make Hazel blush. "Apollo's worked with Ares many times. Ares knows alliances as well as Athena knows strategy."

"Eavesdropper!" Nico accused. "Ares spy! Get on your side of the pavilion!"

Will huffed. "And here I wanted to kiss my boyfriend good luck."

Nico huffed. "Fraternizing with the enemy? Typical Apollo."

Percy pretended to throw up. Hazel hushed him.

They kissed. It was just a peck, but tender enough that Annabeth felt like she was intruding on something. When they parted, they wouldn't stop staring into each other's eyes until Lou Ellen literally pulled them apart. "Earth to Will! Ares is that way!" She pointed to the other side of the pavilion.

Nico gave Will one more kiss before he joined the rest of his cabin. Everyone did the smart thing and ignored the blush on Nico's cheeks.

Annabeth cleared her throat. "Hazel, you're guarding the flag with me. Use the Mist on anyone who comes our way." Hazel nodded. "Blaise, Hestia, I want you on the west border; protect our runners with magic on their way back from the creek. When you hear an owl hoot, cross the boundary line and cast a shield spell, so you create a runway for them to get through; that way the red team can't flank them. Percy, you're on border patrol."

Percy groaned. "Why am I always on border patrol? I know, I know, sea god, water, but I can do more than make waves in a river."

He complained every Friday, conveniently forgetting all the times he single-handedly stopped the other team from crossing the boundary line. He saw plenty of action.

"Right. Nico-"

Nico shook his head. "I'm watching with Al, I'm not playing anymore."

Annabeth glared at him. "What do you mean, you're not playing anymore?!" she hissed. A few people shushed her, but she ignored them.

"It's for the best, Annabeth," Nico said. "My head's not going to be in the game. Rachel's sick, and it's my fault. I was just talking with her about something important (his eyes read: the war), and I'll be completely useless until we figure out what's wrong with her. I'm sorry."

"You traitor!" Lou Ellen shouted a little louder than she had to be. Greek fire burned in the palm of her hands. She looked murderous.

Suddenly, three Nicos stood in front of Lou. Hazel drew her sword. "You stay away from my brother!" she shouted.

Lou Ellen's fire shot a foot from her hand, so close to Hazel that her clothes started to smolder. A heavy bar of gold rose from the ground. It shot into the air and hit Lou square in the stomach.

Annabeth was frozen to the spot. Daughters of Hecate and Pluto, fighting already. She could tell that all her friends who knew about the war were worried.

Despite her expectations, they weren't the ones who stepped in.

The sky turned black, and the entire world went dark. Thunder boomed. When the darkness cleared, Thalia was between Lou Ellen and Hazel, electricity crackling a full inch from each palm.

"Hey!" she shouted. "Save it for the battlefield!"

Three Nicos became one, greek fire disappeared, and the gold bar sunk back into the ground.

_It's nice to know Thalia still kicks ass. _

"You okay, death boy?" Thalia asked Nico. He nodded, paler than usual. "Come with me, I'll hand you off to Torrington." She turned back and looked over the entire blue team. "No one TOUCHES him, you understand?!"

No one argued.

"Red team, to me!" Sherman shouted, holding up his team's flag. The blue team heckled the red team as they marched south, but no one missed the electricity that still hung in the air.

**_HERMIONE_**

For the second time in two years, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley spent their Christmas holiday at number twelve Grimmauld Place. This time, though, they were the ones who asked the Order of the Phoenix to convene there.

Her parents, Aunt Sadie, Uncle Tyler, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Fleur, Charlie, Fred and George, Mad-Eye Moody, Lupin, Tonks, Sirius, Snape, and Dumbledore sat around the dining room table, listening to Hermione, Ron, and Percy explain everything that had happened since the day they ran into three Americans at King's Cross Station. They even included the parts about the Greek gods, hoping that the table of wizard-borne wizards would react the way Ron did when Annabeth spoke to them a lifetime ago.

Hermione feared it was too much for her muggle aunt and uncle to take, but, at that point, they were so unnerved that they'd believe anything anyone told them. All four Granger adults insisted on staying in the know, and no one argued with that. Ginny and her cousins were safe upstairs, fast asleep in their third strange bed in the past forty-eight hours.

Most of the table reacted the way Hermione expected through each twist and turn of the tale. The three people Hermione was most interested in-Dumbledore, Sirius, and Snape-kept their faces guarded and expressionless.

"You want to temporarily overthrow the government?" Lupin asked.

"Is that the only question you have?" Hermione asked, surprised.

"No, but I thought we should start with what we want to accomplish and work back from there."

"I want to expose Fudge," Percy said, "not stage a coup."

"Percy..." Mr. Weasley took his son's hand from across the table. "What you did was noble. But it's too dangerous now that we saw what Fudge will do. I won't let you get hurt."

Percy squeezed his hand. "Thank you, Dad. But I know what I'm fighting against."

"But you have to face facts," Moody said. "That fact is that you're kidnapping the Minister, stunning his guards, and taking over his duties without proper clearance. Even if it's only for a radio broadcast, that's a coup. Even a short-lived coup is treason."

"Percy, Ron, Hermione, you're too young to put yourselves in danger like this," Mrs. Weasley said.

Determination sparkled in Percy's eye. "I'm of age, Mum! And Merlin chose Ron and Hermione! You can't stop us from doing what needs to be done."

"Exactly. We have to do it," Hermione insisted.

"You don't have to do anything!" Mum told them. "Hermione, no matter what Merlin said, he's a god and you're a girl. My daughter is not disposable."

"So, let's address the elephant in the room, then," Sirius said. "Greek gods. Powerful, immortal beings spoke to our children. Any questions?"

Percy, Ron, and Hermione exchanged a look. They were all thinking the same thing. "Sirius," Ron said, "you already knew, didn't you?"

Sirius sighed. "Yes. Harry told me everything right before he... passed away." Sirius shut his eyes for a moment. Grief bubbled to the surface, but he pushed it down. "He needed me to keep his secrets. So, I kept them."

Dumbledore stood. All eyes fell on him. "Tonks," he asked, "can you uncover more about the Ministry's defenses?"

"Spy for the Order?" Tonks asked. "Yes. Better me than a boy."

"This means we will proceed with the Weasleys' and Granger's plan?" Snape asked.

"I have been in contact with Chiron over the last twelve hours. News from Olympus is grim. It's high time the public learned the truth. I fear what will happen if we allow the Ministry to act this way through divine warfare, the likes we have never seen before. This will be worse than Grindelwald's and Lord Voldemort's reigns of terror combined. If the god of wizards has chosen Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger to protect us, we are in no position to argue with their decisions." Dumbledore settled back into his chair. "This explains, of course, why the first king of wizards and, arguably, first headmaster of Hogwarts has no portrait in the Wizarding World. His wife must guard them quite jealously."

No one bothered to ask Dumbledore what he meant by that.

**_PERCY_**

Border patrol sucked.

This time, Percy had it. The red team had the numbers, so the blue team needed the strength. No one would come this way, and if they did, they had other defenses. Percy was going to go where he was actually needed. He'd be their secret weapon.

He walked west along the creek, making sure to hide just out of sight. Annabeth wanted Blaise and Hestia to create a buffer? He could do that with the river, too. Wizard magic was less powerful than demigod magic. They could use the help.

He made it just in time to hear the owl hoot. "Blaise, Hestia!" Percy shouted.

They ran out of their hiding space and the pair shouted, "Protego!" right in front of the river. Percy took all the water he could muster out of its bank and shot it as far south as it would go, creating a nice wall from the waves.

A flag held by an invisible hand shot across the woods. The entire Hermes cabin raced after it, but Annabeth could outrun them all.

"Archers! To me!"

Thalia jumped out of the trees and landed right in the middle of the runway. Arrows plowed into Blaise's leg and Hestia's shoulder. Ianthe and Roszi hadn't expected Percy, but they adapted and shot him a millisecond later. He and the followers of Hecate dropped to the ground together. Percy felt like he'd woken up from general anesthetic, not tired enough to fall asleep, but too tired to do anything but watch the events unfold.

One by one, trees fell to the ground, courtesy of the Demeter cabin, revealing six Apollo kids on each side, arrows notched at Annabeth.

Sherman grabbed Annabeth from behind and threw off her invisibility cap. Clarisse held her electric spear, Maimer, at Annabeth's back. Percy forgot how intimidating Clarisse could be. He wondered how she could take classes at the University of Arizona without all the teachers cowering at her feet.

"The flag?" Sherman asked.

Annabeth grit her teeth. Percy knew she didn't like accepting defeat. "Take it."

Sherman snatched the flag from her. "And Athena falls to Ares!" The red team cheered.

"Oh, really?" Alabaster C. Torrington materialized in front of them, Nico at his side. He snapped his fingers, and the flag transformed into a branch... and a leaf stuck to Alabaster's shirt transformed into the red team's flag. It turned electric green, and two lit torches crisscrossed beneath three small suns: morning, noon, and night.

Chiron cantered out from the woods and blew the conch shell. The game was over.

Everyone's jaws dropped. "You weren't playing!" Thalia cried for her entire team.

"We lied," Alabaster announced. "It's not against the rules, is it? We were in the woods and on our side when the game began. Just a bit further east than everyone else." He handed the flag off to Nico, walked over to Sherman, and plucked the branch from his hand. "Nico directed me behind the lines, and I switched them out. Basic transfiguration. Followers of Hecate learn it in their first year at Hogwarts. It was a stroll back here. Disillusionment Charm. Works every time."

Alabaster smiled at Annabeth. She directed him to continue. It was his victory, not hers. "I look forward to meeting Athena on the battlefield next Friday. And, Annabeth, Nico, Hazel, Lou Ellen? You should take your act to Broadway."

He stood on top of the nearest tree stump, and shouted, "For Hecate!"

The entire blue team erupted. The red team, with profound respect, clapped along with them.

"So that was your plan all along?" Percy asked Annabeth over the crowd.

"The fake-out? No, Alabaster planned all that to the letter-Frank wasn't lying when he said he's a mastermind." The two of them watched Hecate's cabin lift Alabaster into the air with the flag as the camp chanted his name. "Restoring respect for Hecate and Alabaster? That was all me."

**_CHO_**

Since Charon dropped her off, either Hades or Persephone was always questioning her. She hadn't had a second alone. They asked the same things, usually about Harry, Nico, Percy, and Annabeth, but their styles of interrogation differed.

Hades asked questions at a rapid pace. He had a short temper and quick fuse. But his anger cycled quickly enough that, within minutes, he was calm enough again to think clearly and refocus his attention on her. Still, his aura flared every time his anger did, making it hard for Cho to breathe or think at the worst possible times.

Persephone calculated every move. She paced around Cho's cage, asking slow, specific questions, and waiting as long as she needed to for the answer. If Cho cooperated, they were done quickly and painlessly. But when she didn't know the answer or didn't understand the question... _kaboom_.

When they were together, Persephone gave her husband patience, and Hades gave his wife control. Apart, Cho hated them. Together... she started to understand what was happening to her and why.

Hades entered the throne room soon after Cho told Persephone about the defeat of You-Know-Who.

"It appears Harry Potter survived Tom Riddle's first attack by his mother's blood sacrifice," Persephone told Hades, then refocused on Cho. "Why didn't Hecate kill him? His first reign of terror killed countless followers. As cunning as she is, there's no way she hatched her plot with Nico when the boy was still in the Lotus."

"Why are you wasting your time on an enemy we've killed and punished?" Hades asked.

"Hush, husband. How did Voldemort, as you call him, rise to power?"

Cho flinched at the name. "I don't know. I was two!"

"Then what do you know?" Persephone snapped.

"I told you about Harry! You-Know-Who was a powerful wizard, in Slytherin's house-"

"Slytherin?" Hades asked. "What does the god of magical creatures have to do with anything? Persephone, why are you wasting my time with trivia when we have a war to plan?"

"Why was Voldemort placed in Slytherin's house?" Persephone continued, ignoring-and annoying-her husband.

"I don't know. I think-I heard-You-Know-Who was Slytherin's descendant."

"And there you have your answer, Lord Hades," Persephone quipped. "Slytherin was Hecate's first child after Jupiter released her from her oath of maidenhood. I suspected Riddle was Slytherin's, his powers were beyond what should be possible for a mere follower of Hecate, and yet not quite powerful enough to be a direct son of the Titaness. This confirms my suspicions. Imagine how protective she is over her children, if she refused even to kill a distant descendant who killed countless of her followers. You and Hecate have had many arguments without it escalating into battle. Why declare war this time? She is angry about my curse, not your declaration of war. A trick within a trick; even her war has ulterior motives. It's not you Hecate takes revenge against, it's me."

"But you lifted the curse when-" A mixture of hurt and anger flashed on Hades' face for a microsecond. "-_ he _revived you."

"I cursed her favorite children to kill one another if they tasted any sort of power, and all of her other descendants to be mindless drones behind their more powerful half-siblings. She had millennia to grow bitter and angry. I certainly did when she cursed _me _to spend all eternity either as a drone to my mother or shut away in the Underworld when I get any power at all."

Hades kissed her hand. "Forgive me, my dove. I am too impatient. Who was Slytherin's father?"

"Erm..." Cho thought back to Professor Binnes' lectures. She was always half asleep during them. "Merlin."

"Impossible," Hades said. "Hecate was a virgin goddess in Merlin's time. She abandoned her oath in the Middle Ages. Merlin lived during the fall of Rome."

"Merlin lived for six hundred years," Cho told them. "He died in the Middle Ages because he created the Philosopher's Stone."

Hades and Persephone met each other's eyes and had a silent conversation Cho couldn't hope to understand. They did that a lot.

"That would mean she stayed with him for six hundred years," Persephone murmured.

"Enough time to wear her resolve," Hades confirmed. "How did Merlin die?"

_Aren't you the Lord of the Dead? _

Cho valued her life (or death), so she didn't say that. "He stopped drinking the elixir from the Stone that kept him immortal."

"Why?"

"No one knows."

"Alecto!" Hades shouted. A bat-like creature flew into the throne room.

"Yes, my lord?" it said.

"Is there a Merlin in the Fields of Punishment, for creating a weapon that allows one to escape death? He would've died in the early Middle Ages."

"No, my lord."

"You may leave." Alecto flew away. Hades tightened his jaw. "Tell me more about Merlin's death."

"When Merlin died, his followers said he became a god. They said that for centuries." Cho said.

"This is good news, my lord," Persephone said. "If she turned her husband into a god without Jupiter's knowledge, she spat in the face of his authority."

If Cho understood what was going on, here she could strike her first blow and make good on her vow. If she allied herself with these gods, she could use them to take Fudge out of power and save the Wizarding World from chaos. They'd already killed You-Know-Who. All she had to do was impress them enough to get a favor. And the opportunity to do so had just fallen in her lap.

"Excuse me?" she said as politely as she could. "There's a legend that says that Merlin didn't create the Stone, Hecate gave it to him to heal his men after battles."

"Hecate created a secret weapon against me," Hades realized, fury in every syllable. "She was the first to condemn me over your sword! She holds Hazel's status over my head, and yet turns a mortal into a god right under our noses?! If she _dares _to call me a hypocrite because _she _betrayed our agreement over Hazel's future, I'll make sure Jupiter throws her into Tartarus!"

Hades' appearance started to change. His beard disappeared, and his usual robe became a striped tie and tombstone gray shirt. Albino white skin turned paler and paler until it was almost blue.

"Proserpine!" the new Hades growled. "Excuse me for a moment. I'm going to contact Hazel. I want the Philosopher's Stone, and I want it now."

**_NICO_**

It was fun, being the sidekick instead of the hero, anti-hero, or villain for once. He only had to ask the shadows to locate Ares' flag, then directed Al to it under the protection of a Disillusionment Charm. Nico smiled and chanted Alabaster's name along with everyone else. He was happy his friend was finally getting the respect he deserved. Annabeth delivered on her promises.

The truth was, they all needed a united camp. They needed the campers to be demigods first, and children of xyz god second. If they fought each other on the same lines as their parents, there would be no stopping armageddon. When they went public with the situation (and Chiron only had a few more hours until Nico and his friends would spill the beans), they had to make sure they had every tool ready in their arsenal. Alabaster was too useful to be ostracized. And the camp needed Hecate's children, no matter what their mother had done on Olympus.

He was about to rescue a slightly green son of Hecate from his cabinmates' shoulders when someone snatched his arm. Nico fell to the ground, but they didn't let go.

"Hey! Who do you think you are?!" Nico turned to see, "Rachel?"

There she was, in the same state as he'd found her in the campfire. For the third time that day, Nico wanted to throw up. He was turning Rachel Elizabeth Dare into May Castellan because he was too scared to set her free.

Rachel grabbed him so tightly that he couldn't move. He struggled, but she wouldn't let go. The camp encircled them, weapons at the ready in case anything got violent. The celebratory atmosphere was gone. "Rachel, let me go!" Nico shouted.

But, he knew full well that she wouldn't until he did one thing. _Asked _for one thing. The same thing that sent him on far too many dangerous, life-threatening quests. The same thing that made sure he'd suffer over and over again. The same thing that made him lose everyone he'd ever loved.

_I hope you were right, Nonno. I want to be strong and courageous. Let me make a good hero. _

"Tell me your prophecy."

Finally, Rachel Elizabeth Dare gave into the Spirit of Delphi.

"Half-bloods, hunters, and wizards go east, west and descend,  
A god's warrior appears when the first meets their end,  
The bane of the gods lies with the world's first high,  
At the price of the cherished never seeing the sky,  
A parent's mistake leads to a deadly fight,  
Black and green destroy or make peace over white,  
The flower and angel reach out their changed hand,  
For the ghosts of millennia and the promised land."

The entire camp was silent. Nico stared blankly as Rachel fell into his arms.

Nico steadied the woozy Rachel. "So an angel's going to the promised land? Um... I'm gonna die again, aren't I?" he asked her-loud enough for everyone else to hear.

It had the desired effect. Anyone within earshot burst out laughing. Others whispered it to their friends, and soon the entire camp was roaring. In the end, Nico guessed that was all he could do. Discussing the prophecy could wait an hour. For now, it felt nice to laugh in the face of death.

**END NOTES**

This week's beta commentary:  
STORY: For the ghosts of millennia...  
LISSY: Roll credits. ~Cinema Sins  
(Because it was so funny the first time)

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)  
Oli - Beta Reader (Tumblr paradoxicalpsychic)  
Suhalia - Beta Reader (Archive Of Our Own users/milkandtahoney/)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!


	19. Hades Finds Out He's a (Demoted) Planet

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

Ron and Sirius have a late-night chat. Cho hatches an escape plan. Hazel leaves to find the Philosopher's Stone.  


**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: Teen and Up Audiences  
Content Warning: Cursing, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Self Harm  
Word Count: 3233

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_RON_**

It was hard to sleep knowing that the following morning, the Order would be planning their invasion of the Ministry of Magic. And, in twenty-four short hours, they would be at Fudge's doorstep, wands in hand, ready to commit treason in the name of Merlin and Hecate.

Ron climbed off the couch he was supposed to be sleeping on in favor of wandering around the halls, waiting for his exhaustion to catch up with him. When that didn't work, he stepped outside, where the sounds of London could distract his brain from the visions of everything that could go wrong in the next day. He remembered how terrified he felt when Hermione almost got trampled in the mob. He didn't want her to die, or anyone in his family to die, or any of the Order to die. He didn't want anyone to die on his account.

"Can't sleep either?" Sirius's voice came from the doorway of number twelve Grimmauld Place. Ron nodded. Sirius glanced behind him. "Promise not to tell anyone?" he asked. Again, Ron nodded. Sirius stepped out of the doorway and into the fresh night air.

"I keep thinking about everything that could go wrong tomorrow night," Ron told Sirius. "One day until we're all outlaws. I don't know if I can do this."

Sirius sighed. "Take it from an outlaw, it's hard. It's exhausting just to exist. But you kids are right. The public has to know what's happening. I remember every word Harry told me the night we spoke. I think that you, me, Hermione, and Dumbledore are the only people who really know what it would mean for Hecate and Hades go to war. And without Merlin's guidance, I don't know how we're going to survive."

"Thanks." Ron gave a pitiful laugh. "I feel much better now."

Sirius nudged him in the arm. "Hey. You can do this. You've had so much put on your shoulders in such a short time. I remember you in the Shrieking Shack, the way you put yourself in danger to protect your friends without a second thought. Annabeth picked you to lead the wizards last December for a reason, and Merlin picked you and Hermione to lead us now for a reason. You've got it in you. I promise."

Ron blushed. "Thanks."

"I mean it." Sirius sighed. "I just wish Harry was with us. I should've known he would fall to Riddle. I should've been there."

Ron furrowed his eyebrows. "Fall to Riddle? What do you mean?"

"Don't play games with me, Ron. I know Harry didn't die from the Whomping Willow."

"I..." Ron's voice faded when Sirius met his eye. There was such grief in them, dark and empty. He realized how much Sirius had been suffering this past year. He lost his best friend sixteen years ago, and last year he lost the last member of his family-Harry. Lupin had moved on, married Tonks, now she was pregnant with their first child. But Sirius was stuck in his childhood home, still on the lam after all these years, with nothing to distract him from his grief. Sure, the Order was trying to fight the Ministry's power grabs, but that was nothing compared to when they had to fight Riddle. He got less to do the minute he needed more.

"Sirius..." Ron mustered all the strength he had. It was so hard for him to talk about Harry. "Harry was a hero. He gave himself up to save us. He was a horcrux. He had to die. He could've run away, but he didn't, he went to Nico di Angelo and sacrificed himself."

Sirius's jaw clenched. His eyes darkened. "For the greater good..." he whispered to himself. "He should've been a boy... a boy, not a hero..."

Ron put a comforting hand on Sirius's arm, but it was as though he wasn't even there.

**_NICO_**

Nico was ready to quit on today. Between the Hitler thing that morning, Rachel's sickness that afternoon, the longest prophecy in the history of prophecies that evening, and now having to discuss it all that night, he was done. Just... just done.

He had exactly one hour until ten o'clock, when he was expected at the campfire for the all-camp meeting to discuss what people had dubbed the next Great Prophecy. And, you know what? Fine. Fine, fine, fine. The next Great Prophecy and it was about him. The next apocalypse and he was expected to lead the fight against it.

Alastor was right. He could never escape the sins of his father.

So, he was giving in. He knew he shouldn't, but he needed to feel the blade on his arm, or any part of his body, really. Just for a second, just to take off a bit of the pressure. If he was still standing when the new year came, he and Dr. Solberg would wean himself off of it a second time. At midnight, January 1st would be in eight days. He could resist his darker urges and the spiral into depression for eight days. He'd been cutting since he escaped Tartarus. Eight days was a drop in the bucket.

The cabin door creaked open. "Hazel?" Nico called. No answer. He was alone.

He didn't bother to shadow-shield glue the door closed. He needed the pain, and he needed it now; Hazel was with Frank, and his friends usually didn't come into the cabin without letting him know. Nico liked his privacy, and they all respected that.

He grabbed the darkest towel he had and ran to that old corner of the bathroom. But, as he pulled his sword out, he hesitated. He couldn't take ambrosia or nectar anymore. The cut wouldn't go away on command.

That's when he remembered the river, and how good it felt to fall down. Ianthe healed his leg after the cockatrice attack, but his shoulder was still raw from when the monster dug its talons in. Reopening the wound a little wouldn't be hard, and it wouldn't leave any suspicious scar. It would only take a minute...

Any final reservations came off with Nico's shirt. He locked the bathroom door and turned his back to the mirror, craning his neck to get a good look at the wound. It was bruised around the puncture wound, still raw to the touch. Nico grunted as he dug the tip of his sword in. He gasped for breath as he twisted it. He'd forgotten how good it felt. The euphoria was addicting. He wanted more, he craved more. The rush, the release, it felt as good as Will had when he held him last night.

His hand shook. He wanted to plunge the sword in deeper. A little voice in his head said _no, that's enough, you shouldn't be doing this, _but it was easy to ignore when Nico was so swept up in the pain. Knots he didn't know he had relaxed, worries that had hummed so consistently in his mind that he'd forgotten them faded away, in fact, the world faded away, there was nothing, nothing but the sword in his shoulder...

Far away, the door to the Hades cabin creaked open. As much as he wanted to continue, that was his cue to put it to an end. He held in a gasp as he pulled the sword out. He pressed his towel to the wound to keep blood from falling on the floor. Hazel knew about his cutting. It didn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two together if she saw Nico walk out of the bathroom with his sword in its holster and a line of blood trailing behind him.

He walked out of the bathroom just in time to see Hazel carrying a packed suitcase to the door. "Where are you going?" he asked.

Hazel didn't answer. Nico stepped closer to his sister. Her back was to him. "Don't tell me you're leaving for Camp Jupiter. I already know you guys are staying for our meeting. And Argus is guarding the Fleece; he isn't loading your bags into the van yet."

"I have something I need to do," Hazel said softly. "Arion is waiting for me, Nico. I have to go."

"You don't have to go anywhere!" Nico yelled. He shouldn't scream at her, but this hit a nerve. Two days ago, he had to watch Bianca run away over and over again in his poisoned dream. He wouldn't let Hazel disappear without a trace.

"I have to go," she repeated.

"Then take me with you."

"It's for Pluto."

That was it. Nico grabbed Hazel's arm and turned her around. "The next Great Prophecy just came. Pluto can wait!"

Hazel threw Nico's hands off of her. "I have to go!"

Nico rolled his eyes. He swallowed hard and pushed down the tears that threatened to well in his eyes. "And your father sends another pawn out to do his dirty work."

Hazel finally put down her suitcase. "You used to call him Dad."

"I used to call him a lot of things, Hazel."

As always, his sister saw right through him. She grabbed his hand and wrapped him up in a hug. "You're right," she said as she held him. "It's just an errand. You aren't going to lose me for long."

"What does Pluto want?"

She pulled away. Part of him wished she hadn't. She was the only person who could comfort Nico like that. When he was angry, he shrank from everyone else's touch, even Will's and the Jackson's. But never Hazel.

"Hecate created a secret weapon against Dad, called the Philosopher's Stone. It can make mortals immortal. He wants it. No one god should have that power."

"I'm sure that's all he wants it for. Principle."

"What could he do with it, Nico? His warriors are already immortal. They're dead."

"You shouldn't take sides."

"He's my dad. Do you think Hecate's forces would care whether children of the Underworld were actually helping him? They'll kill us no matter what we do."

Nico knew there was no stopping her. He knew what it was like to want to please Hades. So, he took her bag. "I'll see you off, then."

Hazel squeezed his free hand. "Thank you."

They didn't talk on their way to Arion. They weren't immune to the tense silence that had fallen over the entire camp. There was so much Nico wanted to say to her, but nothing he could put into words.

He stood a few feet away as Hazel saddled Arion and fastened her bag to his side. She put one foot on the stirrup, then turned back to her brother with one last smile. "I'm excited to see the Wizarding World," she said.

Nico's eyes widened. "You're not going," he whispered.

Hazel's annoyance faded when she saw her brother's face.

Nico said, "You know what? Fine." His words came out broken. "Fine," he said again, through clenched teeth, with fury to rival any god or goddess at their worst. "You win."

Hazel removed her foot from the stirrup. "Nico...?" she asked.

"Do you hear me?!" Nico screamed. Tears streamed down his face. "You win! Is this it?! Is this what you wanted?!"

Hazel reached out to touch him, but Nico shoved her arm away. Despite Arion's protests, he walked right up to that stupid horse and undid the leather cords wrapped around Hazel's bag. "Did he tell you the Wizarding World's fallen into anarchy?" Nico snarled. "Did he tell you how Hermione Granger was almost trampled to death? How many followers died in the mobs?"

Hazel didn't answer him. Nico ripped the suitcase from its fastenings and threw it at her feet. "DID HE?!"

"No," Hazel managed.

"No," Nico mimicked. "No, no, no, of course not, of course he didn't. Because you don't care! You don't care how many mortals you kill, do you?! A few million are just a drop in the bucket as long as you get what you want!"

"Nico, stop it!" Hazel screamed, her cheeks wet with terrified tears.

"SO, YOU WIN! Congratulations, Father!" Nico thrust his arms out, presenting himself to the air like a trophy for the taking. "You've won your pawn back, safe and sound! You got a Great Prophecy ready to kill my sister and throw me in Tartarus?! Sign me up! You want the Philosopher's Stone? Sword of Persephone? Artifacts of Thanatos? Tom Riddle's head on a silver platter? No problem! I'M YOURS FOR THE TAKING! DO YOU HEAR ME, FATHER?! COME CLAIM YOUR PRIZE!"

He ripped his aviator's jacket off, showing off the old scars on his arm. "THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED, ISN'T IT?! A FATHER'S LOVE LEAVES SCARS-COME ON, ALASTOR, WE ALL KNOW HE DOESN'T GIVE A SHIT! SO, KILL ME! STRING ME UP LIKE A TURKEY! MAKE ME IMMORTAL SO I CAN BE YOUR ERRAND BOY FOR ALL ETERNITY! I'M HERE! I'M YOURS!"

He pointed to Hazel. "BUT DON'T YOU DARE SQUEEZE HAZEL DRY TOO!"

His hard, hyperventilating breaths turned into malicious laughter. "I'LL SEE YOU IN FUCKING HELL, DAD!"

"Percy!" Hazel screamed. Percy and Jason, once on their way to the pegasi, came running.

"C'mon, we're going to see Chiron," Percy told him. Jason grabbed both of Nico's arms and pinned them behind his back. Nico struggled, still laughing maniacally.

"I'LL SEE YOU IN FUCKING HELL!"

"This is for your own good," Percy said, and punched him in the temple. Nico fell limp into Jason's arms and blacked out.

**_CHO_**

After Hades left to speak to Hazel-whoever that was-Alexander the Great came into the throne room, and Persephone had to resume her tenure as queen and review the war council's latest plans. That meant that finally, for the first time in Cho's thirty-six hours as a dead person, she got some time alone.

While she didn't have to sleep anymore, hours upon hours of discussing Harry, You-Know-Who and what she remembered from History of Magic wore her out considerably. She couldn't hear what Persephone and Alexander the Great were saying, so she didn't try to eavesdrop. She needed time to hatch a plan.

She may be dead, but Hades and Persephone could bring her back to life. She had to win their favor somehow, and, with time to think, she could come up with a game plan. She was a follower of Hecate. They were at war with Hecate. And every war needed spies. If she could convince them that she wasn't much use anymore down here, they would send her up there with the condition that if she tried to run they would drag her back. But, Cho had no intention of running.

Hecate kept You-Know-Who alive despite all the casualties of doing so. Twice, she let him rise to power. England was the center of the Wizarding World-now she knew why: it was because the gods gave Hecate the wizarding parts of England as her chosen land. There was no way that the goddess of magic or her formerly-a-wizard husband didn't know what was going on in the seat of their power.

There had to be peace between Hades and Hecate, or the world would be doomed. Fudge had to go away, or the Wizarding World would be doomed. As a spy on the inside, she'd be able to take care of the Ministry. She could get in contact with Annabeth, Percy, and Nico and make sure they took care of the rest of the world. Sure, that was a harder job, but they were half _gods_. They could do it.

Hades returned, looking like his usual self. He joined Persephone with Alexander the Great for a little while. Soon, their little meeting ended, and their attention was once again on Cho.

_This is it, Cho. Make Ravenclaw house proud. _

"Excuse me?" Cho asked. "Lord of the Dead, sir?"

Hades raised his eyebrows at his wife. "Lord of the Dead?" he asked, amused.

"Oh..." Cho gave an embarrassed smile. "I heard Charon and Thanatos call you that. I just thought..."

Hades chuckled. "I am the Lord of the Dead. But Lord Hades works just as well."

"Thank you, Lord Hades. Is it all right if I speak?"

"You're speaking already," he pointed out.

"Yes, I know, but you're the lord, so I thought I'd ask permission to continue."

Again, Hades chuckled. Even Persephone smiled. Cho suppressed a smile of her own-her plan was working.

"Speak, child," Persephone said.

"Well... I was wondering... before, when you said you were going to talk to Hazel, you looked different. But now you look the same again. Why?"

"That was my Roman form," Hades explained.

"Why does Hazel want your Roman form?"

"She is a daughter of Pluto, not of Hades. Ancient laws dictate that we speak to our children in the right form."

"Oh." Cho cocked her head to the side and smiled. Her choppy bob (courtesy of the explosions during the fight that killed her) fell to her cheekbones. "That's funny." She giggled. "Pluto's my favorite planet."

Hades laughed again. "So they named a planet after me?"

"Yes!" Cho exclaimed, excited. "I took Astrology at Hogwarts. They actually... well, they demoted Pluto, so it's not a planet anymore, but it used to be, so it's still important in class. I think it should still be a planet, though."

Hades jokingly huffed to Persephone. "They demoted me."

Persephone shook her head at him. "Why is Pluto your favorite?"

"It has a giant crater in the shape of a heart on its side."

Persephone laughed along with Hades. "I suppose that's your tribute to me," she teased.

"Always, my dove," he said. Then, he turned to Cho. The usual purple fire in his eyes was calm now. They were pinpricks, nothing but a violet twinkle in his eye. "I think this was a reasonably good interrogation, Cho Chang."

Cho nodded eagerly. "Yes, my lord. What did you want to discuss next?"

"Hmm. Do you know where the Philosopher's Stone is?"

"No, Lord _Pluto_."

Hades chuckled. "Where did this cheekiness come from?"

"You've taught me a lot about the war," Cho said. "I had some time to think. I'm on your side. Hecate kept You-Know-Who alive after he killed people, and overstepped her bounds with the Stone and making Merlin immortal. I don't care that she's my patron. She left the Wizarding World to rot, and, because of that, killed me."

"How old are you?" Persephone asked.

"Seventeen."

Persephone shook her head. "Too young. You say Hecate's lands are in chaos?"

"Yes, my lady."

"Queen," Persephone corrected her.

"Yes, my queen. Our government turned against the public. The mob that killed me won't be the last one we have. Didn't you notice how many witches and wizards are dying?"

Persephone shook her head. "Charon's likely keeping them on the other side of the Styx."

"Well, it's not good there. I wish I could tell you more, but I don't know what's happened since I died."

Hades was deep in thought. "How much information do you have left to give us, Cho?"

Cho lowered her eyes in pretend shame. "Not much. I'm sorry, but I don't know anything about the gods, and I've told you almost everything I know about You-Know-Who and the Wizarding World, Merlin, and Hecate. What happens to me now? Will I be judged?"

"You've given me much to think about," Hades said, half to himself. "Excuse me."

Cho and Persephone watched Hades exit the throne room. Persephone gestured upwards, and a huge, thick vine rose from the floor, forming a stump. She blew on the stump, and a crackling fire sprung to life. It burned hot a bright for a few moments, then sputtered out. The fire had carved a bowl in the middle of the vine, a bowl now filled with a pale, lilac liquid. Persephone whispered something in Ancient Greek, and the liquid turned clear. She scooped it up into a crystal goblet she had on hand.

"Potion-making is nothing more than advanced nature magic," she informed Cho. "I may not be the goddess of potions, but I _am _the goddess of nature magic."

A cool spring breeze flew it over the walls of the cage and into Cho's hands. "What's this?" she asked nervously.

Persephone waved her hand, and the vine disappeared. "What you would call the Draught of the Living Dead. Though, its abilities are far beyond the silly sleeping draught your people have turned it into. Now, drink up." She kneeled next to Cho from the other side of the crystal wall, looking her in the eye for the first time. "I need to speak to my step-son."

**END NOTES**

Persephone, that's going to be a little hard...

It's almost midnight and I had a long day at work and I'm exhausted, so I'll do comments tomorrow. Sorry :/

STORY: Thank you, Lord Hades. Is it all right if I speak?  
OLI: is there much of a difference between "all right" and "alright"? I was always taught "alright" but I've been seeing "all right" more often. Is it a location difference?  
LISSY: Alright isn't a word. At least that's what I was taught "Alright is never all right!"  
OLI:...let me just rearrange my entire world view

STORY: "Promise not to tell anyone?"... Sirius stepped out of the doorway and into the fresh night air.  
OLI: RIGHT HOUSE ARREST! man i though sirius was gonna light a cigarette or smthng  
LISSY: *takes out a crack pipe* you want a hit, Ronny boy?

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)  
Oli - Beta Reader (Tumblr paradoxicalpsychic)  
Suhalia - Beta Reader (Archive Of Our Own users/milkandtahoney/)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!


	20. Cho Ravenclaws the Lord of the Dead

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

Persephone speaks to Nico. Ron has his first demigod dream. The camp discusses the prophecy. Cho moves forward with her plan.  


**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: General Audiences  
Content Warning: Cursing  
Word Count: 4036

This chapter is less disjointed than the summary implies, I promise.

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

**_NICO_**

Nico's eyes fluttered open. Sunlight hit his cheeks. Around him, beautiful trees and flowers grew beside meandering slate paths. Life-sized statues stood on soft grass. Persephone hummed as she plucked pomegranates from a tree and placed them in a woven basket hanging from the crook of her elbow. She turned, beaming as bright as the sun itself.

"You took your time," she teased.

"You're in a good mood."

Persephone laughed. With it came a warm breeze that smelled like wildflowers. "We're winning this war, Nico. Thanks to you." She caught herself with another giggle. "Well, you and Cho Chang."

Nico blinked. That was a name he hadn't heard in a while. "Cho Chang? What does she have to do with the war?"

Persephone moved to an apple tree. Blossoms ripened into fruit as she reached to pluck them. "She's a prisoner of war Hades and I recently dug up from the wrong side of the Styx."

Persephone stared at an apple the size of her face. She sighed, "Too small," and threw it on the ground for the cockroaches. Those guys lived _everywhere_. "It's perilous in Hecate's lands now that she has summoned the Founders for her war council. There have been riots over the past two days. A spy informed me that your friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger are planning to stage a coup against the Ministry of Magic tomorrow night. We'll see how that goes." She threw another enormous apple on the ground.

Nico collapsed on a nearby stone bench. "What? How could... why would... huh?" He knew about the violence from his dream, but hearing it all, knowing it was _real_, put him at a loss for words. Blaise. Hestia. Ron. Hermione. Even Malfoy. None of them deserved that. And Cho... she was innocent, too young to die, caught up in some deadly game of chess played by hands too powerful to take notice of her until she served a purpose. Just like Harry.

"I'm surprised you haven't asked about your surroundings."

Nico waved Persephone's comment away, lost in thought. "Psychic link. I'm used to it."

Persephone's steely gaze woke Nico from his fog. "How are you 'used to it?' " He didn't answer. She stepped closer to him, leaving her basket of fruit on a stone bird bath. "Nico, you weren't a prime target for Gaea or any of her children. Only the Earth Mother and her children have the power to induce a psychic link without the aid of magic. I didn't summon you. Pan didn't summon you. Why are you 'used to it?' "

"I thought you said 'empathy link,' " Nico mumbled half-heartedly.

Persephone put a hand to his chin and lifted his head, forcing him to look her in the eyes. "Was Hecate whispering to you in the Wizarding World? Is that why you joined her?"

"I joined her because she was going to give me the Artifacts," Nico growled. Psychic link or no psychic link, that was one of the few moments he'd defied his fate and Persephone would _not _take that away from him. "And, no, Hecate didn't contact me until after I renounced Hades. We're done here." He shoved Persephone away. "Get away from me."

"Nico-"

"GET AWAY!" Nico screamed with wild eyes, cheeks flushing with heat.

Persephone was completely unaffected by his breakdown. "It was Torrington, wasn't it?" In shock, Nico nodded. How could she know Alabaster?

Persephone gave an indignant huff. "That _hero _is a thorn in my side! Hecate's most egregious break of the ancient laws-and that's saying something-and I can't prosecute her for it! If he meddles one more time, I swear on the River Styx I'll-"

"How is Al against the ancient laws?" Nico asked, cutting Persephone off before she could make an oath everyone would regret. "And why can't you charge Hecate, again?"

Persephone stopped ranting long enough to remember Nico was still there. She turned, a sad little smile on her face. The anger was gone. "It's nothing, Nico."

"What's happening to the Wizarding World?" Nico insisted. "Who are the Founders?"

Persephone retrieved her basket of fruit and sat beside him. She offered him an orange, but he pushed it away. "You're dreaming, Nico. This fruit won't curse you."

"I don't want to take the chance."

Persephone reluctantly put the orange back in the basket. "The Founders are Hecate's husband Merlin's personal servants. They each control a key component of the Wizarding World. The four of them founded Hogwarts together the year that land passed from Demeter to Hecate. You already know Slytherin, god of magical creatures. Then there's Gryffindor, god of spells; Hufflepuff, goddess of potions; and Ravenclaw, goddess of the Mist, called divination in her lands.

"The four of them plus Merlin and Hecate keep her lands running; the intense magical energy coming from so many chosen mortals in one place makes the site reek to monsters and can turn men's mind to jelly. Paranoia, anger, and fear overtake her lands without Merlin holding it all together, and their systems are already collapsing without the Founders there to prop them up. Hecate's protections will only do so much. She intends to call on her followers as her military until the camps fall, but has underestimated how quickly things will deteriorate."

"But... it's only a week until January 1st. They'll be okay... right?" Nico asked desperately.

"Many things have fallen in far less time than a week."

He was speechless. That place housed him for three months, long enough for him to get to know it. It was home to so many people...

"That's why I called you here," Persephone continued. "Hades is considering reviving Cho as another spy on the inside. I want you to collect her. Bring her to camp or send a representative, and keep her informed. A small team in the Wizarding World is just what we need to-"

"Sabotage it," Nico snarled. "Why should you care? That's Hecate's army, and you're fighting against her! Why should I help you? I'm done being an errand boy!"

"Nico-"

"No! Don't 'Nico' me! I wanted nothing to do with any of this, and then you send Hazel off to a crumbling realm, kidnap Cho, an innocent girl, and terrorize the Hunters with Underworld creatures so Thalia has to run off into the Arctic and get herself killed! No! No! I don't give two-tenths of a shit about the godsdamned Great Prophecy or your stupid war! You don't get it! I won't do you one more favor, Persephone! You don't know what it's like! I just want it all to stop!" Nico fell off the bench, fell on his knees onto the stone path, and sobbed. "Let it stop..."

A soft hand touched him on the shoulder. He felt warmth spread from the tips of its fingers down his back, then into the rest of his body. Somehow, it felt familiar.

"You think I don't know what it means to be a puppet with my betters pulling the strings?" Persephone laughed a soft, pitiful laugh. It echoed like they were in the wide, open fields of flowers from her youth, not a small garden in the middle of the Underworld. "I want nothing more than your freedom, Nico. I've kept Hades at bay for you more than once. But, for you to have a free and mortal life, there has to be a world left for you to live in."

Nico slowly sat up, looking at her warm face with new eyes. "You have?"

She ran a tender hand down his cheek. "Why do I see so much of myself in you when you are not mine?" Nico wiped his tears away with his sleeve as Persephone watched with a tender expression. "Do you remember the winter before the Battle of Manhattan? You were twelve, I believe."

"I came to live with you," he reminisced, still sniffling. "After we saved your sword. I thought you hated me. But you shared the food your nymph servants brought you from the surface world so I wouldn't go hungry. You didn't have to do that. Then, you got sick-the winter was harder on you than usual, and you couldn't leave your room. Hades made me watch you when he couldn't. He was so afraid for you."

Persephone smiled. She took Nico's hand and led him back to the blossoming apple tree. "Take one," she said. Nico hesitated; he couldn't do nature magic like Persephone could. But something inside him told him this time it would be different. He reached for the apple blossoms, and one ripened into fruit. He closed his hand around the apple, as full of wonder as he had been as a little kid.

Persephone held up her basket for him. He put it in. She put the basket at his feet, then looked up with shining eyes. "What was that song you would sing to me? The one about being free? You said it was Bianca's favorite song."

"_I Hope You Dance_."

Persephone took his hand and pressed a vial into his palm. It was all too familiar: a potion for a dreamless sleep, the one Alabaster had given him so many times at Hogwarts. Alabaster... that's why he recognized this warmth. It was the same spell Alabaster cast after the boggart attack. But this time, Nico didn't feel stronger... he felt at peace.

"When we see the other side of this, Nico, I hope you dance every day of your life."

With Persephone's eyes on him, he took the potion. His eyes closed, and he collapsed into her arms.

"He's awake," Lou Ellen announced. He opened his eyes as the daughter of Hecate left to check on another patient. He was in the hospital wing of the Big House back at camp. All of his friends and family were hovering nearby.

"Where's Will?" Nico croaked, sleepiness in his voice.

"With Leo, sweetheart," Sally said softly. "He's checking in every time he gets the chance, I promise." She smiled at him and squeezed his hand. "How are you feeling?"

Nico closed his eyes again, thinking of Persephone in her garden. She was kind to him for the first time... well, ever. She had moments when she was friendly or thankful, but never to that degree. She said she'd gone to bat for him with Hades. All this time he thought nobody could understand, but here was someone who both could and did. He thought no one in the immortal world cared a damn about him, but Persephone defended his freedom. He thought of Hestia, another goddess who seemed to care even more than Persephone. That talk in his tree before he left on his quest... she was trying to guide him, and he'd barely listened to her.

"I'm sorry," he told everyone. "I'm done feeling sorry for myself. I mean it this time. Hazel..." he looked at his sister, and the worry and fear in her eyes made his heart sink. He hated seeing her like that, and he'd done that to her. "I'm sorry I broke down like that. I'm fine, I promise. I'm okay."

"You swear you won't be a little shit anymore?" Thalia asked, the corner of her mouth twitching.

"Thalia!" Jason cried.

"She's/I'm joking," Nico and Thalia said in unison.

Will came to Nico's bedside. He looked exhausted; he must've gotten next to no sleep with Leo in such bad shape. Well, except... Nevertheless, his bloodshot eyes brightened when he saw Nico awake. He sat down next to him and pecked him on the lips.

"Yeah, Thalia," Nico said. "I promise I won't be a little shit anymore."

With Persephone's comforting words, Will's sparkling blue eyes, and Sally's warm hand in his, Nico felt light and free for the first time since the holiday party. The next Great Prophecy was about him, and he'd be leaving camp to lead it in just a few hours. He could, _would_, do it.

After all, he was Nico di fucking Angelo.

**_RON_**

Ron had never had a demigod dream before.

That's what Percy Jackson called them. "It's how the Fates give us info on our quests," he'd explained. "Sometimes gods summon you-that's usually not a good sign-but most of the time you get events in real-time, or glimpses into the past or future. They're usually horrible nightmares, but at least they're helpful."

So, when Ron found himself standing in a massive throne room made of gemstones and precious metals, at least he knew what was going on. Vaguely. Cho Chang stood in a crystal cage off to one side of the throne room. She was fast asleep.

A teenage girl in a pastel dress entered the room. She flicked her fingers upwards, and a vine the size of a tree trunk grew from the bronze floor. With a wave of her hands the center caught on fire, burning through the vine and mixing with other plants buried in its center. She waved the fire away and filled a crystal goblet with liquid from the vine. With another wave of her hand, the vine sunk into the floor as though it was never there at all.

A man in black robes walked in. "Persephone, why is our prisoner sleeping?" he asked the teenager.

"Mortals do that," she told him.

"The dead do not."

_Dead? _

"Fine. I was testing my skills on the girl. It's called the Draught of the Living Dead in Hecate's lands. The potion makes psychic links much easier if you channel it through a mortal."

"And who were you speaking to?"

"Hazel Levesque. Now, could you get rid of the cage, Hades? I want to wake her up."

_Hades. That's Nico di Angelo's father. The god who wanted Riddle. _

Ron suspected the divine force Hermione mentioned didn't translate into dreams. Which was good, because the effect of two gods would probably be too much for him to take.

As Persephone walked towards Cho's cage, the crystal disappeared. She poured the potion into Cho's mouth, and she woke. "Sit up slowly," the goddess advised.

"You've given me a lot to think about, Cho Chang," Hades began. "And I've decided-you're more use to me in the surface world than down here. According to my daughter, there's been a new prophecy. One of your American friends will likely call on Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger to aid their quest. I want you with them. In exchange, I will grant you a second life."

"You- you can do that?" Cho asked.

"I can do anything I want. We're at war."

"I'll do it!" Cho promised.

"Good." Hades stepped towards her. Persephone motioned for her to kneel. She did so. "I, Hades, god of the underworld and Lord of the Dead, offer you my patronage. I ask that you join Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley when they join the demigod quest, that you seek out any information I or Persephone, goddess of spring, request, and regularly report to one of us on what you see and hear." Hades' expression hardened. "And you are, under no circumstances, to join Hecate's cause. In return, I will grant you a second life"

Hades waited expectantly. Persephone whispered something in Cho's ear, then Cho said, "I accept my Lord Hades' terms and his patronage. On the River Styx, I swear to the terms he lays before me, and will serve him with pride until I meet all his wishes."

"I accept your patronage," Hades said. "And I swear on the River Styx to the mentioned terms. Rise." Cho stood, beaming.

"Your body is in St. Mungo's," Persephone said. "I will escort you to the surface world. Don't take your vow lightly. Terrible things happen to those who break an oath on the Styx."

"I won't disappoint you," Cho promised.

Cho and Persephone turned their back on Hades. Cho trailed behind Persephone, a gleam in her eye so shrewd that Ron wondered if she'd planned all this from the beginning.

The scene changed to St. Mungo's. A young woman sat at Cho's bedside in a private ward. For a moment, there was nothing. Then, Cho's chest started rising and falling. The woman beside her gasped and grabbed Cho's hand. Tears wet her cheeks.

Cho's eyes opened. "Genevieve?" she asked weakly.

"I'm here," Genevieve assured her. "The healer said you were dying, but I didn't lose hope. You saved my life, Cho, I couldn't live with myself if you died in my place."

"Don't worry about it," Cho mumbled. "Is anyone around?"

Genevieve glanced around the room. "No. The healers are with some other patients. Why?"

Cho laughed as much as she could while being so weak. "I have to tell somebody. You'll never believe it. You said you were muggle-born, right?"

"Yes. What is it?"

"The Greek gods are real," she whispered. "I did die. I met Hades and Persephone. But, they-there's a war going on, them against-"

"Hecate. Yes, I know," Genevieve finished for her. Cho's eyes widened. "I'm a half-blood, Cho. I was told to protect you. Hecate's made it clear she hates anyone even remotely connected to Nico di Angelo, and Hades hates any follower of Hecate. But, I failed, and I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Cho reassured her. "And I'm glad you're a half-blood. I... I have to talk about this with someone. It's... crazy."

Genevieve gave a knowing smile. "I felt the same when Mum first contacted me. Why did the Lord of the Dead let you out of the Underworld?"

"He captured me and I joined his side. He wants eyes in the Wizarding World. But, you can't tell anyone-promise me."

"Won't, I swear on the River Styx."

Cho smiled. Genevieve squeezed her hand. "Told you that?" Cho asked.

Genevieve just smiled at her, leaned back, and continued in a normal volume. "Your friend Marietta swung by, said to call her when you woke up. She'll be back tomorrow. She mentioned something about the Ministry?"

"Tell her I'm still going," Cho insisted, a little stronger now. She still seemed curious about Genevieve's mother, but not enough to pry. "Come with me. Let's figure out what's going on together. We can track down Ron and Hermione-they're our ticket to Nico."

Their conversation stopped short when a healer pushed Genevieve away so he could examine Cho. She shrugged 'what can you do' and said, "Well, I'm off to the snack bar. Back in a bit. I'll bring you a thank-you-for-saving-my-life cookie."

The scene changed again, this time to a campground. Twelve cabins in a reverse U surrounded a huge campfire. At least a hundred people sat there, chatting nervously. When Ron saw Percy and Annabeth seated near the front of the crowd, he knew this had to be Camp Half-Blood.

A centaur, probably Chiron, trotted in front of the campers. A few teens and an adult couple took seats next to Percy and Annabeth. Nico stood in the shadows, watching Chiron as he addressed the crowd. A girl with vibrant red hair joined him there, and the two started a grim conversation.

"Heroes!" Chiron called. "I know this evening's events have affected us all. But, we must remain calm. This camp has faced many prophecies and many dangers. As many of us have learned, fear can be our greatest undoing.

"News from Olympus is grim. Ceres has accused Hades of conspiracy to commit treason against Olympus during the Wizard Genocide last winter, and blames him for the near-murder of Persephone. She does this in Hecate's name. Though Nico di Angelo convinced Ceres to delay the trial, something much of Olympus hoped would keep us from war, Hecate and Hades have escalated the situation. Zeus and Poseidon have both chosen Hecate's side. While most of the other gods are still neutral, they threaten to fall along the same lines as they had in World War Two."

Ron could've heard a pin drop. He didn't know what World War Two was, but the name was pretty self-explanatory, and something that didn't need to happen a third time.

Chiron turned to Nico and the redhead. "Nico, Rachel, you have the floor."

**_NICO_**

_Nonno, Mamma, Bianca, stay with me. It's time to be a hero. _

Rachel stepped forward. "I'll repeat the prophecy for anyone who didn't hear it this evening:

"Half-bloods, hunters, and wizards go east, west and descend,  
A god's warrior appears when the first meets their end,  
The bane of the gods lies with the world's first high,  
At the price of the cherished never seeing the sky,  
A parent's mistake leads to a deadly fight,  
Black and green destroy or make peace over white,  
The flower and angel reach out their changed hand,  
For the ghosts of millennia and the promised land."

"We can't stop the trial," Nico addressed the crowd, "but we can keep Olympus out of war. Hades and Hecate both have powerful weapons against each other, which are making them more confident. Last year we hunted horcruxes-this year, we need the Philosopher's Stone and the Artifacts of Thanatos."

"How do you know that's what we have to do?" someone shouted. A few people whispered in agreement. Nico's palms got sweaty. He wasn't expecting questions. How _did _he know? His only proof was a gut feeling and a painting on Rachel's wall.

He scanned the crowd-he wasn't used to public speaking and was nervous as Tartarus. Will caught his eye and smiled his adorkable smile. _I'm here_, he said silently. _Go on, you can do it. _

Nico took a deep breath. "Pluto already asked Hazel to find the Philosopher's Stone. And Lou Ellen, Al, I'm sure Hecate contacted you guys about the Artifacts."

Lou Ellen and Alabaster glanced at each other. "She... didn't _not _ask for them..." Alabaster muttered.

"We told her we weren't going to get involved, though!" Lou Ellen clarified.

They were all watching him intently, waiting for the plan. He wasn't Annabeth. He had no idea if this would work. But the gods chose him, which meant he had to try.

"I'll go to the Underworld with Percy. That was the last place we know the Artifacts were, so that's where we should start."

"I'll head east to England," Annabeth said immediately. "I'm the only one of us who can survive a plane ride. I'll rendezvous in London and we'll start looking for the Philosopher's Stone."

He turned to Thalia. "You were the leader of Persephone's quest. Your Hunters are already defending against their monsters. Go west with Roszí and Ianthe. Lou should go too, and..." There was one person from last year's quest left... if the camp would accept it.

_Annabeth, I really hope your Capture the Flag plan worked. _

"Al?"

Alabaster's eyes darted nervously around the silent crowd, waiting for the backlash... one that never came.

"I want Lou to help me command," Alabaster said. He turned to Thalia. "We should start with Los Angeles and New York. I know Merlin, and he'll want to control the ways in and out of the Underworld. I can apparate to San Francisco to organize the legion, then march to Los Angeles. You can use Camp Half-Blood for the Doors." He cursed under his breath. "We need a force in London. Hades will try to kick Mum's lands while it's down. But we're out of manpower."

"I'll tell Yasmina to bring the Hunters there," Thalia said. "Ianthe, Roszí, and I can escort Nico and Percy to the Doors of Orpheus. The camp will join us once I see how many troops we'll need in New York. I'll join you two in L.A. once the Doors are secure."

"Blaise and Hestia could help us," Percy said. "They'll know what the Artifacts looking like if they end up in Hecate's lands again. And what about Will? You almost died like five times on the horcrux hunts, and now that you're mortal..."

"Yeah, yeah," Nico groaned, but he didn't put up much of a fight. He wanted his boyfriend close this time.

"I'll keep my eye on Olympus," Rachel said. "If Delphi gives me more insight, you'll know about it."

There was a glimmer of hope in everyone's eyes. They finally had a plan.

_I did it. _

**END NOTES**

Ron's still dreaming when it switches to Nico's P.O.V.. The idea is that I want him present for the meeting. It's just that I needed Nico's inner thoughts.

STORY: Life-sized statues stood on soft grass [in Persephone's garden].  
LISSY: Because they buy Medusa's victims as giant gnomes. Don't think I forgot about you, _The Lightning Thief_.  
OLI: ahh, the good old days XD  
LISSY: Do you ever wonder what happened to Aunty Em's now that Medusa's gone? Did Hades send the Furies to collect her statues or are they just sitting there for poor mortals to stumble on and be like "what the fuck...?"

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)  
Oli - Beta Reader (Tumblr paradoxicalpsychic)  
Suhalia - Beta Reader (Archive Of Our Own users/milkandtahoney/)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!


	21. Trivia Time with Nico di Angelo

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

The Christmas Eve broadcast. A battle rages at the Doors of Orpheus.

**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: General Audiences  
Content Warning: Cursing, Violence (mild)  
Word Count: 4760

This is the last one for today.

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_HERMIONE_**

Number Twelve Grimmauld Place reminded Hermione of the horcrux room the day of Riddle's invasion. No one spoke. No one moved much. They went over the plan again and again in their heads, praying to Hecate, to Merlin, and to any other god who might listen that things would work out the way they expected.

4:00 a.m. Thirteen hours until the Christmas Eve broadcast.

Fleur grabbed Hermione's hand, and the two disapparated. A flash of light, and they stood in front of Uncle Tyler and Aunt Sadie's house. "Down!" Hermione shouted, and pulled Fleur into a cushion of snow.

A door swung open in the house next door. A man stood with a flashlight, looking for the source of the noise that woke him. "There's nothing!" the man shouted to someone inside the house. "Probably some animal. I'm going back to sleep." The door slammed closed.

Fleur and Hermione stayed lying in the snow for another ten minutes in case the neighbors came back. Long after Hermione's fingers had gone numb, they pushed themselves out of the snow pile and onto the front stoop. Hermione took the house key from her pocket and unlocked the door.

"Emulgeo." Fleur waved her wand, and a gust of hot air steam-dried their clothes, bringing feeling back to Hermione's frostbitten body.

"Wait here," Hermione said, then dashed into the kitchen. Like Uncle Tyler promised, she found a box of body cameras in the drawer under the microwave, the kind that the police wear. Uncle Tyler was a bit of a tech geek, and Hermione thanked Hecate for it. With cameras, their back-ups could monitor those in the field and fix problems remotely if they arise.

"You 'ave them 'ermione?" Fleur called from the living room.

"Yes!" Hermione called back. She ran into the living room where Fleur had started a fire. Fleur threw Floo Powder into the fireplace, and it glowed green.

"Good luck," Fleur said. She would stay behind to put out the fire, then meet with Mrs. Weasley and Ginny in the American Wizarding World. They were their reserves; if the coup went horribly wrong, the three of them would break everyone else out of Azkaban.

Hermione stepped into the flames. "Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place!"

Hermione gave a waiting Uncle Tyler the box of body cameras. He pulled out his iPad, pushed a few buttons on the cameras, then smiled.

"All online." He looked up at a waiting Sirius, Percy, Bill, and Lupin. "Now, who's first?"

**_THALIA_**

After they said good-bye, Annabeth boarded a plane to London and Lou Ellen and Alabaster transported to Los Angeles. Argus dropped her and the rest of them off at the bus station in the Upper East Side.

"It's officially midnight," Hestia said, pointing to a clock on the overhead.

"December 24th," Blaise confirmed.

A tense silence fell over them. They had eight days until Ceres' trial now, and that wasn't nearly enough time to find the Artifacts, find the Philosopher's Stone, and save the Wizarding World from collapsing. Oh yeah, and the entire time it was up to her and Alabaster to guess where Hades and Hecate would fight, and to protect nearly every major city in America.

_I hear Honolulu is really nice this time of year... until Vulcan chooses a side and blows Hawaii off the map. _

They walked in silence to the Doors of Orpheus. The park was pretty empty; there was the occasional drunk person or college kid, but that was it.

"Do you think Hecate's captured the Doors yet?" Will asked.

"What dost thou mean 'yet?' " Roszí growled. Thalia sighed. Artemis supported Hades, so the Hunters supported Hades, even if they'd officially declared their neutrality. But did Roszí have to be so hostile about it?

"Hades might have some defenses up," Hestia reasoned. Thalia shot her a silent thank you, because Will didn't look too happy about Roszí's comment.

"That's true," Thalia said. "We should send a scout first so we know what we're up against."

"Who's the least likely to get killed?" Percy asked.

They looked around. Nico was an obvious no. Artemis sided with Hades, so Thalia, Roszí, and Ianthe were out if Hecate had the Doors. Zeus and Poseidon supported Hecate, so Percy and Thalia were out if Hades had the Doors. And Blaise and Hestia were followers of Hecate, a prime target for Hades, which left...

"I'll go," Nico said, panicked.

Everyone just stared at him.

"Uh, no, no you won't," Blaise said.

"You're a walking target," Hestia agreed.

"They hate me equally...?" Nico tried, but even he knew how lame an excuse that was.

"I'll knock you unconscious again if you try," Percy threatened.

Will put his hand in Nico's. "I'll be fine, Neeks."

"That's what people say before they die."

Will chuckled. "You're cute when you're worried." He turned to Blaise and Hestia. "Give me one of those two-way mirrors. I'll find a tree to climb and give you a bird's eye view."

Blaise pulled one of the mirrors out of their duffel bag, along with Will's quiver and arrows. Thalia remembered his skills from when they played Capture the Flag. He wasn't as good as his siblings, but he was leagues above any of the other cabins.

"Shoot straight," Thalia said as Will slung his quiver over his shoulder.

He gave her a thumbs up, then kissed Nico on the cheek. "I'll be right back."

Percy put a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. Nico's eyes followed Will up into the trees until he disappeared in the canopy of leaves.

The picture came in. The good news? Neither Hecate nor Hades was guarding the Door of Orpheus. The bad news? It was because a battle was raging below Will's feet.

Nico pointed to monsters with saw-like bones coming out of their heads. "Those are aeternae!" Then, he pointed to black monsters the size of elephants with three horns on their horse-like foreheads. "And those are odontotyrannos! Neither of them have left Tartarus since Alexander the Great!" There were keres too, and spartae. Plus hundreds of skeletal warriors with guns, knives, and swords.

Hecate had just as many. Acromantula (spiders the size of bears), cerastes like Ianthe had fought, di inferi... Hestia pointed to blue and brown dots hovering in the air. "The blue ones are billywigs, their venom is toxic. And the brown are doxy, biting fairies."

Hades' enormous odontotyrannos were tearing Hecate's acromantula apart. Billywigs and doxy swarmed them but could do nothing to stop it.

"Who commands?" Roszí asked.

"There's a man and a woman on Hecate's side, I can't tell-" Will turned the mirror to reveal a black-haired woman in a blue dress and a red-haired man in with a long, bushy beard.

Blaise was so surprised that he nearly dropped the mirror. "That's Ravenclaw and Gryffindor! But... how?!"

"They weren't followers of Hecate, they were gods," Nico said. "Ravenclaw's the goddess of the Mist-divination to you, and Gryffindor's the god of spells."

Will turned the mirror to Hades' side. "I think that's Alexander the Great!"

"That's why there's aeternae and odontotyrannos," Ianthe reasoned.

"Who's that man next to him?" Hestia asked.

"That would be Fritz Haber, the reason the Germans had mustard gas, chlorine gas, and a whole bunch of other chemical weapons in the Great War," Nico said. "Oh, and Zyklone A was his too."

"What the Nazis used?" Will asked.

"They messed with the formula a bit, hence the 'B,' but yep." Percy raised his eyebrows at Nico, stunned. "I'm allowed to know things, even if I'm not Annabeth."

"Will, can you get back here?" Thalia asked.

"On my way-" Fog overtook the screen. They saw the swish of a black robe, then the connection cut out.

"Will dropped the mirror," Blaise whispered.

Before anyone could stop him, Nico ran straight into the battlefield.

**_HERMIONE_**

10:00 a.m. Seven hours until the Christmas Eve broadcast.

Ron and Hermione hovered anxiously over Uncle Tyler's shoulder, watching the body cam footage. Fred and George had the Ministry's broadcast equipment in pieces around them. With a mixture of magic and hands-on inventing, they outfitted every piece of equipment with their secret, handmade trap. "Whatever you do, don't take these out of the box until it's go time," Fred instructed.

"Right..." Charlie sounded a little wary. Hermione didn't blame him.

The Weasley twins carefully put everything into unmarked boxes and handed them to Charlie and Bill. Between the two of them, they could carry everything in one go. Thankfully, wizard radio had fewer moving parts than muggle television.

The Weasley brothers made their way through Diagon Alley, doing their best to pretend they weren't holding bombs. Not that they _were _holding bombs, but the way Fred and George talked about them, they had a nasty surprise in store for the unaware.

They carried the supplies into the Ministry without a problem. Soon, they were in Fudge's office, placing the boxes down under the watchful eye of Percy Weasley.

**_NICO_**

Nico heard the shouts of his friends behind him, but he didn't care. The love of his life was alone on a battlefield. He already had nightmares about Will dying after Riddle kidnapped him last year. They wouldn't come true. They couldn't.

Nico saw a smoky black cloak beside Will's glowing mirror. He channeled every ounce of anger he'd ever felt and desperately shouted, "Damn to Hades!"

The spell exhausted him, but it worked. Whatever it was faded into the night. Nico ran to Will and helped him up. "Are you okay?"

Will grimaced but nodded. "That thing... it was like... anything good was sucked out of me. I can't explain it."

At that point, everyone else had caught up to Nico. "Dementors," Blaise said. "Not good."

"Ravenclaw and Gryffindor called for reinforcements," Thalia said, pointing to the sky. Fifty dementors flew overhead, blotting out the full moon. Ravenclaw and Gryffindor summoned dozens of shimmering silver lions and eagles; their creations circled their side of the battlefield. Alexander the Great and Fritz Haber collapsed. The dementors dove for Hades' forces. One by one they attached themselves to a monster and reduced it to dust.

"Make us silver animals," Nico said to Blaise and Hestia.

"That's difficult magic, Nico," Hestia said. "Neither of us can do it."

"Shit. How long until we're affected?"

"As soon as a dementor notices us."

_Think. There's a way out of this. I wish I had Lou Ellen or Al... wait... _

"I have an idea," Nico said. "Will, when the dementors got to you, you fainted, right?"

"Yeah... Neeks, where are you going with this?"

Nico took a deep breath. "Percy, Thalia, I need a thunderstorm. We have to make it as damp as possible so the monsters can't smell us. Blaise, Hestia, cast lumos and give me your wands. I'll get in close."

Roszí looked at him curiously. "Thou puts thyself in great danger. What is thy plan?"

"No time," Nico said. "Guys, I need that storm _now _."

Blaise and Hestia handed him the lit wands. Soon, dark clouds poured sheets of rain on the battlefield. The storm forced the billywids and doxy to retreat. Thunderclaps made terrified acromantula scatter. Thalia's precise lightning strikes plus Roszí, Ianthe, and Will's shower of arrows made monster after monster turn to dust. Together... they barely made a dent.

Nico made his way into the throng. With so many troops gone, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw were forced to fall back. The silver animals widened their circle, pushing the dementors closer and closer to the Doors in a last-ditch attempt to overwhelm Hades' forces.

Nico drew his sword. He ran towards Hades' skeletal warriors and cut through them like butter. In a matter of minutes, a hundred were back in the Underworld. Soon, he'd created enough of a commotion that a dementor noticed him. It soared towards him mouth-first.

The color drained out of the world. Nico ran towards the silver animals. Hecate's forces let him by, assuming he was on their side. But the dementor remained in pursuit-ally or not, it wanted fresh meat.

He dove behind the silver line. He only had a second before he blacked out.

_Take me to Westover Hall. _

**_HERMIONE_**

3:00 p.m. Two hours until the Christmas Eve broadcast.

"Thanks for helping out." Percy ushered two wizards into the office. "Minister Fudge wants everything to be ready for him at half-past four. Now, the amplifier stand should go exactly six feet over the desk, with the wand-holder at a seventy-two-degree angle..."

The wizards got to work. Everything seemed normal. The process was slow as Percy micromanaged every tiny detail, but by half-past four, it was all set.

Percy walked out of the room and shouted, "Everyone in! The Minister's arriving soon!" He ushered another handful of wizards through into the room, then shut the office door.

Cornelius Fudge walked briskly towards his office. "Is everything set, Weasley?"

"Yes, sir. The catering is downstairs. I'll see to it while you prepare for your broadcast. Make sure you keep the door closed, sir, or the noise from outside the office will disrupt the sound. Auror Tonks will be head of security."

"Yes, yes, see to it, then."

**_CHO_**

Mrs. Edgecomb checked Cho out of St. Mungo's around six a.m., December 24th. Cho told her and Marietta that she'd been separated from her parents at Diagon Alley the night of the mob, and hadn't been able to get in contact with them. "I didn't mean to get mixed up in it all," Cho had said, "it just sort of... happened."

"Poor dear..." Mrs. Edgecomb replied. "You aren't the only one who's suffered. The Ministry's been up to its ears with missing people's reports."

"Have there been any incidents since then?" Cho asked.

"Small things here and there, but nothing to worry about," Mrs. Edgecomb reassured her.

Mrs. Edgecomb worked in the Department of International Magical Cooperation, International Magical Trading Standards Body division. It was her job to represent the Ministry in diplomatic business meetings and negotiate important trade deals. She got to travel all around the world on official business, sometimes taking Marietta with her. Cho had a special interest in economics and was quite good with people. She spoke Japanese fluently and loved traveling to Asia. This was what she wanted to do since she was a little girl. And yet, with everything that had happened in the past week, it didn't have the shine it once did. Cho had so much to think about now; her old life was a distant memory.

Mrs. Edgecomb's office was small: a desk, a couch for visitors, a bookshelf filled to the brim with thick volumes, and a filing cabinet for legal documents. "It's not much, as you can see," Mrs. Edgecomb said, gesturing to the space around her. "I meet Ministry officials here and get instructions on my upcoming meetings with foreign officials. And, I read through transcripts of old trade negotiations and other legal documents. This job isn't all traveling and showmanship, Cho. You have to be prepared for the boring work, too."

The day progressed in that fashion, and soon it was late in the afternoon. The entire day, Cho's mind wandered. She wasn't as enthralled as she would've been a few weeks ago. These days, she had bigger fish to fry than an internship. She and Genevieve were here to gather intel for Lord Hades, not to file papers and tour offices. She had to slip away.

"Is there a toilet?" Cho asked.

"Down the hall, to the left," Mrs. Edgecomb said.

"I'll go with her!" Genevieve said and followed Cho out the door. Marietta made a move to follow, but Mrs. Edgecomb held her back. Cho smiled. This was her lucky day.

"What time is it?" Genevieve asked.

Cho searched in vain for a clock on the wall. The sun was already setting.

"I have no idea. Why?"

There was sadness in Genevieve's eyes, one Cho knew all too well. "My fiancée. I don't know where she is. I lost her in the mob, Cho. I- I prayed for help... I had a dream. We need to be at the Minister's office at five when he starts his Christmas Eve broadcast. I don't know what that has to do with Wendy, but..."

Grief hit Cho like a cannonball. She hadn't thought of Harry or Cedric since she'd died, but with Genevieve's words, all those emotions came crashing back. A little voice in her head wanted her to tell Genevieve to suck things up, there were worse things that could happen than losing someone in a crowd.

_Her fiancée could be dead. _

_And? At least she has hope. The world gave you no hope. Why should you be her rock with everything you went through? Let someone else deal with Time's torture. It's not your fault Wendy's lost. Why should you help Genevieve? You already died for her! You have a mission for Lord Hades! _

Cho swallowed those words before they could come out of her mouth. "Yeah, of course. We'll go there now," she said instead.

Genevieve's face broke into a gracious smile. "Thank you."

**_HERMIONE_**

4:55 p.m. Five minutes until the Christmas Eve broadcast.

Hermione ran down the halls of the Ministry of Magic with her wand raised. She stared at the iPad in her hand. Tonks was by the door; Sirius, Lupin, Mad-Eye Moody, and Mr. Weasley were in position behind Fudge's other security personnel. Ron and Percy stood side-by-side in the room adjacent to the Minister's office, waiting for the signal.

Silence.

4:58 p.m. Two minutes until the Christmas Eve broadcast.

An auror turned to Tonks. "Shouldn't we hear the countdown by now?"

Tonks turned on her team. Mad-Eye, Sirius, Lupin, and Mr. Weasley jumped from their hiding spots, wands drawn.

Flashes of red light stunned the entire security team.

4:59 p.m. One minute until the Christmas Eve broadcast.

"Go, go, go!" Tonks shouted. Ron threw open the door. Like Fred and George promised, the Minister and his entire crew had passed out from traps hidden in the equipment.

Hermione, Ron, and Percy ran inside. "Soronus!" Percy shouted. He took Fudge's wand from the amplifier stand and put in his own. Fudge's wand clattered on the floor.

"In the closet," Percy told them. "Don't come out, no matter what happens. They may wake up and I don't want you getting hurt."

Hermione watched Ron and Percy embrace. "You don't have to do this," Ron told him.

Percy kissed his brother's hairline. "I do. Now go."

Hermione pulled Ron away from Percy and shoved him into the closet with the iPad. They shut the door. "Colloportus," Hermione whispered. The door locked. They were sealed in.

"Good evening, witches and wizards. I'm Percy Weasley, Junior Secretary to Minister Fudge. I'm here to tell you that everything we thought we knew is wrong."

**_NICO_**

Mamma sat in the parlor of their villa in _la Valle d'Aosta _. Her belly was swollen with child. Nico had never seen someone that pregnant before-Sally was only three months along with her and Paul's daughter-to-be Estelle, and not showing yet. Mamma had to be close to her due date.

Hades was there. His face was dark and serious, full of concern. "Let me take it, Maria," he said.

"They do not know you," Mamma insisted. "No one will stop a woman with child." She smiled her crooked smile, the one she and Nico shared, the one that meant they were either lying or playing a trick. "If anyone suspects, I could 'go into labor...' "

"No," Hades said flatly. "I let you last time, but things are worse than they were two years ago. I can't lose you, Maria. I'd-" his dark eyes were suddenly full with grief. "I'd have nothing left."

Mamma put her hand on Hades'. "Persephone is a fool, my love. And your brothers. But I cannot stop my life at your command. I _will _not."

_Persephone? What happened to Persephone? _

"I love you and your bravery... but I'm immortal. I can't get hurt the way you can. Your message will get to the Americans, I promise you that."

So that's what they were talking about: Mamma's information for the resistance against Mussolini. Hades wanted to take them, but she was resisting. Nico flinched at the word "promise." He didn't swear on the Styx, he simply promised. A promise he could break without any consequence. It was yet more proof that Hades was using Mamma. That he was supporting his son Hitler and Hitler's allies. That those messages would never reach their destination.

Before Mamma could say anything, a bullet of black hair darted into the room. It was quickly followed by Claudia, Nico's old nanny. She was just as he remembered her-chocolate skin, small hands, thick hair tied into a bun, white apron tied over a long, brown dress, and a smile that lit the room. Her age startled him, though. He always thought of her as an adult. In reality, she was the same age as Nico-eighteen at the most.

"_Vieni qui, tu!"_ **[Come here, you!]**

Claudia said as she scooped Bianca up. She was smiling but shaking her head.

"_Che cosa ho detto di correre in casa?_" **[What did I say about running in the house?]**

She wagged her finger at his infant sister.

Bianca continued to squirm in Claudia's arms until Hades relented and held his hands out. Claudia handed the baby off, careful not to meet Hades' eyes. "My apologies, Maestro Devin," she said in heavily accented English.

"That _is _Bianca," Hades said. His eyes never left his daughter. Startled, Nico realized he was smiling. Actually smiling. Like... like a _dad _.

Bianca squealed as Hades bounced her on his knee. It was hard to see her so innocent, oblivious of who her father was, ignorant of all the suffering that her parentage would bring. She would die because of her relationship to that man. He wondered if she'd be squealing if she knew her fate.

Mamma tried to smile, but the warmth didn't reach her eyes. Now in the presence of her daughter, guilt entrapped her. Right in front of his eyes, Nico saw his mother break. She'd never wanted Hades to take her messages. But she let him... she let him so she'd live for her children. For Bianca. For him.

Claudia noticed Mamma's smile falter.

"_Il bambino sta calciando, signora?_" **[Is the baby kicking, madam?]**

Mamma shook her head with her usual smile, one hand resting on her swollen belly.

"_Quello era il lavoro di Bianca. Questo non __farebbe mai una cosa del genere. Questo è il_ _mio piccolo angelo._" **[That was Bianca's job. This one would never do such a thing. This one is my little angel.]**

Nico couldn't help but smile himself.

_So that's where that nickname came from. I'm glad it stuck. _

He watched Bianca attempt to climb onto Hades' head and laughed outright.

* * *

For the first time in over a year, Nico woke up in his old bed at Westover Hall. It looked the same as usual, minus one thing:

Alabaster was asleep in Matt's bed.

He woke Alabaster; it took his friend a minute to realize exactly where he was. He sat up and turned to Nico, bewildered. "What? How did you...?"

"Empathy links go both ways. Figured psychic links do too. I was afraid you severed the connection, but obviously not."

Alabaster stretched. "I never got around to it. Why am I here? What's going on?"

"Do you remember the first time I cast 'damn to Hades?' In the graveyard, with Tonks. It took forever for me to relearn how to do it, yeah?"

Nico hoped that would get some reaction from his friend, but his poker face was too good. "Okay? And?" Alabaster asked.

"I have to be angry to cast 'damn to Hades.' But I wasn't angry at Tonks." Alabaster clenched his jaw. It took him effort to stay calm now, Nico could tell. "You cast damn to Hades through me, didn't you?"

Alabaster's façade broke. He put a hand on the desk beside him to keep the bed from shaking. "Fine. Yes. But I can't do this now, Nico. My past isn't a happy one. I have a quest to lead; I can't do that if I wake up reliving it."

"I don't care about your past. I need you to do it again."

Alabaster vigorously shook his head. "Never again. I only did it then because your life was in danger."

Part of him was curious about what was going on with Alabaster, what any of that had to do with his past, but he made a mental note to press it further at a different time. This wasn't the time for a long conversation.

"I need you, Al. We're at the Doors of Orpheus, and there are at least fifty dementors. Hecate's side cast silver animals that protected them. I need you to do magic through me so we can defend ourselves."

At first, Alabaster looked relieved. Then, he realized exactly what Nico had just said. "Nico, you could already do dark magic. You can't cast a patronus."

"Persephone spoke to me in her garden yesterday. She cast that same spell you did after the boggart attack, then I could do nature magic when she guided me."

Alabaster bit his lip; from the look on his face, he was close to saying a few choice words about the goddess of spring. "Cast a shield, it works the same way. Dementors are blind."

"You don't get it," Nico pressed. "There's an entire _battle _going on around us. Ravenclaw and Gryffindor are commanding, and they don't have bad eyesight. If they see a my shield, they'll know it's me, and we'll be overwhelmed."

Alabaster swallowed hard. "How do you know that was really you who cast the nature magic?"

"I don't."

"Nico, cast your shield. Please. I'm hundreds of miles away, I'm out of practice with these psychic links, I don't know how good the connection is... there's no way this is going to work."

Nico caught his friend's eye and refused to let go. "You told me yourself, you can do anything when your life is on the line. Well, fuck this up, and your best friend is going to die."

Alabaster was shaking again, trying to keep fear behind his shattered poker face. "I said _almost _anything."

"Wake us up, Al. It's now or never."

**_RON_**

_Please, Merlin. Keep him safe. _

"Good evening, witches and wizards. I'm Percy Weasley, Junior Secretary to Minister Fudge. I'm here to tell you that everything we thought we knew is wrong.

"I'm Wizarding Weekly's informant. I overheard a meeting between all the department heads one week ago, December 18th. And what I heard made me regret everything I've ever done as a Ministry official.

"In that meeting, Cornelius Fudge said outright that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was back. He knew. All the department heads knew. And they lied to us. That was what their meeting was about: how to maintain the lie.

"You-Know-Who invaded Hogwarts last December. Harry Potter killed You-Know-Who but died in the battle. He died for us, and the Ministry defamed him. Pius Thickness and his Aurors wiped the memories of every student at Hogwarts so no one would remember the battle. They humiliated anyone whose memory they couldn't wipe so no one would believe them.

"This Ministry has put us all in danger to expand its own power. I was unwittingly a part of that, and for that I am-" A moment of silence. "We're on air, Minister," Percy growled.

Someone took a step forward.

"You, Percy Weasley, have betrayed your Ministry."

"I serve the people, not you."

"Do you know what the punishment is for a traitor, Weasley?"

Ron's palms got sweaty. Something was seriously wrong, he knew it. All he could hear, over and over again, was that prophecy. _When the first meets their end... when the first meets their end... _Ron tried to push the door open, but Hermione held him back. He struggled, but he couldn't open the door without Hermione's wand.

"Let the people see who you really are, Cornelius."

"HERMIONE!" Ron shouted.

"I, Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, with the power vested in me by the English Wizarding World, sentence this lying traitor to his country to death."

"HERMIONE LET ME-"

"Avada Kedavra!"

And there was the sound of Percy Weasley hitting the floor.

**END NOTES**

Let the body count begin...

Actually, it will. Body Count: 2 (Cho technically died so it counts)

Fritz Haber stuff: I imagined Nico doing more research on Hitler and going down one of those google search rabbit holes. (The first source link is a short video on Fritz Haber and you should watch it this man is interesting in all the worst ways.)

"You cast damn to Hades through me, didn't you?" For the record, this was always the intention, I just couldn't find a place to throw this into the first fic. You'll see that a few more times when it comes to Alabaster. He sorta got his backstory confiscated and not returned.

Also, I realized that, for all the Nico's past stuff, I never clarified my timeline. So, for those of you who care: This would be summer of 1929.  
Nonno: Born 1869. 38 when Maria's born, 45 in 1914, 60 here, 70 when he died.  
Maria: Born 1907. 19 when she met Hades, 20 when Bianca's born, 22 here, 32 when she died.  
Bianca: Born 1927. 2 here. 12 when she entered to Lotus (obviously)  
Nico: Born 1929. I think you know the rest.

SOURCES:  
YouTube /watch?v=tdEE5uvFhOM (This is about Fritz Harber)  
Wikipedia /Aeternae  
Wikipedia /Odontotyrannos  
Pantheon  
Harry Potter Wiki /Acromantula  
Harry Potter Wiki /Billywig  
Harry Potter Wiki /Doxy

This week's beta commentary:  
STORY: [Okay this is an email again but shhh]  
LISSY: Chapter up in two days, guys! I actually really like this one. It's no Hitler chapter, but it's still fun.  
OLI: OOF OMG THAT CHAPTER ENDED...NOT IN OUR FAVOUR  
LISSY: Anarchy begins with a martyr. But, hey, at least Percy redeemed himself...? (I'm sorry)  
LISSY: LET THE BODIES HIT THE FLOOR

STORY: "I'll go," Nico said, panicked. / Everyone just stared at him.  
LISSY: You are literally the worst person to go, Neeks. Stap

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)  
Oli - Beta Reader (Tumblr paradoxicalpsychic)  
Suhalia - Beta Reader (Archive Of Our Own users/milkandtahoney/)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!


	22. Persephone Be Done with Hades' Shit

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

Cho and Genevieve escape the Ministry. Nico and the others fight their way into the Doors of Orpheus.

**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: General Audiences  
Content Warning: Cursing, Graphic Depictions of Violence  
Word Count: 3919

Remember in chapter two the Camp Half-blood folks gave Nico a shield? He uses it in this chapter, didn't want ya'll to be confused.

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_CHO_**

No one saw Cho and Genevieve hiding in Umbridge's office during the radio broadcast.

After they snuck away from Marietta and Mrs. Edgecomb, they made their way as close to Fudge as possible. The Senior Undersecretary's office was next door to the Minister's, and the walls were thin enough that they heard everything.

And close enough to the Aurors that they saw the coup in action.

They saw the Auror's senior officer, Professor Lupin, and their allies assault Fudge's security team. They saw Ron, Hermione, and Percy Weasley sneak into Fudge's room. They heard every word of Percy's broadcast. And they heard what happened after.

Dead. Percy Weasley was dead. Fudge killed a hero, a boy with his whole life ahead of him. Cho regretted how she'd acted at the Leaky Cauldron two days ago; Percy had meant every word he said. Now he was dead, and she could never tell him she was sorry.

Mostly, though, Cho felt angry. The moment she heard Fudge shout, "Avada Kedavra!" and heard Ron's anguished scream, every muscle in her body clenched. She wanted to walk right out of there and show Fudge how well she could duel.

But Genevieve put her arm on Cho's stomach. "This isn't your fight," she whispered.

She saw Professor Lupin and the others run into Fudge's office. She heard more screams. A man shouted, "You killed my son!" and there was a bang as someone slammed someone against the wall.

"Up! Up! They're trying to kill me!" Fudge shouted. "Get up! They cursed us! Up, now!"

Then, there were so many grunts and bangs that it was clear Fudge had reinforcements in that room. Everyone had to be dueling. Cho wanted to join them, but Genevieve wouldn't let her go.

"Go! Now!" a woman commanded. "Take them, Sirius!"

"No!" Ron shouted.

"You have to, for Merlin and Hecate!" a man, presumably Sirius, pushed. "He chose you, Ron!"

Cho strained her neck so she could look out the doorway. A shaggy-looking man had Ron and Hermione clasped in each hand, pulling them out of Fudge's office. Cho pushed Genevieve away and sprinted for her classmates. Their backs were to her.

The man let go of Hermione's hand long enough to take out his wand. She stumbled and accidentally glanced behind her. Her eyes met Cho's. For a moment it was just the two of them, Hermione Granger and Cho Chang, two young girls, two champions of two gods on two different sides of a war. She opened her mouth to speak, but it was too late. The man apparated away, leaving Cho alone in the hall.

Genevieve sprinted to Cho's side. "Cho! What were you thinking?!"

"Ahhh!" Cho and Genevieve turned. Behind them, a man Cho knew must be Percy's father had a bloody Fudge pinned against the wall, hands at his throat.

"We have to get Marietta and get out of here," Genevieve breathed.

But Cho refused to move. Brick by brick, she'd vowed to tear the Ministry down brick by brick during that mob. Fudge was so close, if she could only find an opening...

"Cho!" Genevieve whispered. "We have to go!"

Fudge pushed Mr. Weasley back. He staggered long enough for Cho to raise her wand.

_Make him feel every ounce of your pain, of Cedric's and Harry's pain. One body-binding curse and Percy's father will finish it for you. _

Anger and grief bubbled in the pit of Cho's stomach.

"Cho?" Genevieve whispered.

Fudge saw Cho in his bloody haze. His eyes widened in recognition. "The girl from the mob-!"

_Stupify. _

Red light hit Fudge in the center of his forehead. Without so much as a glance, Mr. Weasley punched Fudge in the gut, in the head, anywhere.

One of Fudge's goons, however, decided to look for where the spell had come from.

"Run!" Cho shouted.

They ran all the way to the main hall. Around them, Ministry workers were being ushered out of the building by security personnel. Others were running towards Fudge's office. Red lights were blinking, and a horrible noise came from every direction.

"Attention!" It was the woman, the auror upstairs that turned on Fudge. Cho didn't realize the radio broadcast was still going. "Retreat your forces-"

There was a loud bang. "Tonks!" Professor Lupin shouted.

"Young teenagers fled the scene- helped murder the Minister- find a girl-"

There was another bang, and the broadcast cut out. Cho and Genevieve bolted for the exit, praying that, in the commotion, no one would see them.

"No!" Mrs. Edgecomb shouted. Cho made the mistake of glancing behind her. Five security personnel had Marietta in their grip. Mrs. Edgecomb reached for her, but they was separated by the crowd.

"Marietta!" Cho screamed. She gripped her wand. Marietta wasn't the one who cast that spell and helped murder Fudge. She couldn't die too.

Marietta met her eye. She mouthed one word:

_Go. _

That's when one of the security personnel broke her neck. Cho screamed in anguish, but Genevieve pulled her away. She blinked, and they were in the English countryside, miles away from the Ministry.

Cho collapsed on the ground as familiar tears, familiar screams, escaped. Her best friend was dead and it was Cho's fault. That was her last good thing, there was no way she could go back to her family now that she was a fugitive, Marietta should be with them, no, no, not again...

_Stop it. Get ahold of yourself. If you break down again, Marietta died for nothing. You have to keep going. For Marietta, Cedric, Harry, Mamma, Pappa, Sora... _

Cho took a deep breath and stood. She wiped her face with the hem of her shirt.

"Fudge is dead," Cho said in an empty voice.

"You stunned him, Cho. He didn't feel a thing. I thought... I thought you were going to make him suffer." Genevieve lowered her eyes in shame. "I was afraid you would."

"I wanted to," Cho said, "but I couldn't. I'm not Umbridge. He saw my face, he knew who I was from the protest. His last thought was about me, how he would die because of what he did to me. That's my revenge. I'm not a monster. I don't need anything else."

"Cho... everything we have was in Mrs. Edgecomb's office." Genevieve realized.

"That doesn't matter," Cho told her. "Lord Hades told me that half-bloods are going to meet up with Ron and Hermione. They'll have supplies. We just have to figure out how to find them."

Genevieve thought for a moment. She fished a hand into the pocket of her robes and threw Cho a drachma, as Charon had called it. "Contact Hades, tell him what's happened. I'll... sleep on it."

Cho stared at the coin. "How...?"

Genevieve pointed to a puddle a few yards away. "Make a rainbow with your phone's flashlight. The words are, 'O Iris, goddess of the rainbow, please accept my offering,' then say Hades' name. Goodnight."

Genevieve curled up on the grass and fell asleep, leaving Cho alone with nothing but her phone and a drachma. She walked over to the puddle, shined a light on it, then threw the coin. It hit the water with a _plop! _and sank to the bottom of the mud. "O Iris, goddess of the rainbow, please accept my offering. Lord Hades. Um, he's probably in the Underworld..."

Miraculously, the image shimmered to life. There was Lord Hades and Queen Persephone, coming from the rippling puddle like a two-way mirror.

"The Minister for Magic is dead," Cho told them.

Hades' lips curled into a sinister smile. "Tell me more."

So, Cho did. She recounted everything that had happened since she woke up in St. Mungo's. Hades' eyes darkened at the mention of Genevieve.

"You should not have told that girl anything," Hades growled.

"Don't be so hard on Cho," Persephone said. "We need allies in this war. From what Cho tells us, she's cast no magic beyond what a follower would. In all likelihood, she's the child of a minor god and a wizard. A spy for Hecate would not have been so forward with her identity, nor saved Cho's life."

"Unless she thinks keeping the girl alive will give her more information!" The image trembled a little. Persephone cleared her throat pointedly.

"Our forces have enough time defending D.O.A. Recording Studios _without _an earthquake?" She posed the statement like a request. The image went back to normal. "Husband, Hecate has jurisdiction over _all _her lands. It would be like us putting a spy in the Fields of Punishment. Cho doesn't deal with anything Hecate would not already know."

The fire in Hades' eyes calmed about half a degree. "Fine. But you are forbidden to tell this Genevieve anything that would help Hecate or her allies. Let her help you, but I will not play into that Titian's hands." He said Genevieve's name like he was describing a week-old bologna sandwich.

"What interests me more is what Sirius said to Ron and Hermione," Persephone put in. " 'He chose you?' It sounds as though Hecate has secured a new champion to replace Nico di Angelo."

"Don't you dare!" Hades shouted. The image shook again.

"I'm allowed to say the boy's name!" Persephone snapped. "Now will you _please _stop!"

_Charon did say he and Nico were estranged. I didn't realize it was so... explode-y, though. _

"Find Weasley and Granger. And watch them." Hades commanded.

"Yes, my lord," Cho said. Then, the connection cut out.

**_PERCY_**

It was hard to concentrate on anything but keeping the thunderstorm going with Thalia. They worked in sync with each other, as though they'd done this a thousand times, but, even so, the work was demanding.

That didn't mean Percy wasn't terrified for his brother, though.

Nico had run into the thick of battle for the second time in the last hour, and this time it was towards an enemy they couldn't defend against. No one could see a tiny boy covered in black between the crowd, the storm, and the shower of arrows coming from Will, Roszí, and Ianthe. For what it was worth, Blaise and Hestia did their best to give the play-by-play.

"I think Nico's battling the skeletons! Man, he's taking out hundreds of them!"

"A dementor's diving at something!"

"He broke the patronus line! What's he doing?!"

Percy grit his teeth. He could see Thalia digging her heels further into the grass.

"I... can't..." Thalia grunted. She'd long since stopped knocking monsters out with her lightning. It was her job to keep those clouds in the sky, and Percy remembered how heavy the sky was. She had it worse than him.

"Hold... on..." Percy managed through his grit teeth.

"Percy... flood... them..."

Percy would've smiled if he had the energy. That was a really good idea. Thalia always came through. "One... two..."

"THREE!" they shouted together. Thalia dropped her arms, dropped the clouds, and Percy gathered all the water in the air in a thick layer, hovering over the heads of the battlefield. He groaned under the weight as more and more water piled on top of each other. Then, he let go. All the water slammed into the ground at full force, scattering their forces.

_If they didn't know half-bloods were here before, they do now. _

The archers stopped firing. "Come on, Nico..." Will said under his breath. "They won't stay like that for long... come on..."

A lone figure stood in the center of the battlefield. Percy felt a million times lighter. His little brother was okay. He laughed out loud. "He can't say no to you, can he, Solace?"

"No he can't," Will agreed, grinning from ear to ear.

Blinding, silver light exploded from Nico's hands. It morphed into every animal imaginable, each one stamped like a quilt on the wall of light. The dementors tried to fly away, but they were too slow. The light hit them, and all fifty crumbled into dust.

Percy drew Riptide and charged, his friends right behind him. They hacked down Hades' skeletal warriors and Hecate's di inferi as they made their way to Nico. Of course, the dead reformed immediately, but they were still too stunned to attack.

"Formation three!" Thalia shouted. She, Roszí, and Ianthe formed a triangle and, together, shot an odontotyrannus in the forehead. Thalia dove under its massive legs and shot five arrows in its underbelly. It roared and came crashing to the ground, forming a mountain of dust.

"Why are you just standing there staring at me?!" Thalia shouted. "Help Nico!"

They scattered. Thalia, Roszí, and Ianthe got to work on the other odontotyrannos; Percy ran into a crowd of keres and started hacking them down. In the corner of his eye, he saw Will scramble up a tree and open fire, doing his best to clear a path to bridge the wandless Blaise and Hestia and Nico.

They thankfully reached him in time. Nico threw them their wands, then shouted, "Shield them! Now!"

"Get between us!" Blaise shouted. Everyone did as they were told.

"Protego!" the two followers of Hecate shouted together.

Nico drew his sword and held up Leo's shield. Each time he swung his sword, any monster within twenty feet exploded into dust, even if he hadn't touched them. "You want me to _what_, Al?!" he shouted to no one. He cocked his head as though he were listening to someone, then cried, "You're crazy! ...Fine, I trust you, but you'd better deliver!"

He dropped his sword and shield, defenseless.

"What are you doing?!" Thalia shouted, but Nico didn't respond.

Nico ran towards Hecate's side of the battlefield, surrounded on all sides by his shadow shield.

_He's going to fight Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Defenseless. _

"Stay here!" Percy said to his friends, then ran after Nico.

Outside Blaise and Hestia's shields, the air had dropped at least twenty degrees. Percy's breath was cloudy as he panted, sprinting through the gap Nico left in his wake. "Nico!" Percy shouted. Ten yards from Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, he'd finally caught up.

"What are you doing here?!" Nico shouted.

"No way I'm hiding when my brother's fighting two gods," Percy said. "We take them together, or not at all."

Nico grinned. "I love you, bro."

Nico dropped his shadow-shield. Percy charged at Gryffindor, slicing and stabbing with his sword. While each spell he fired back took a hit on Percy's shield, nothing had gotten through yet.

"You will not die?" Gryffindor asked. "You should not take on a god, hero."

"Not my first rodeo," Percy said, slicing again.

But Gryffindor disappeared, and Riptide hit air. He reappeared a few feet away; a lion the size of a school bus stood by his side.

They charged at Percy.

"Nemean lion! Gryffindor's sacred animal!" Nico warned.

"Oh, you've got to be shitting me!" Percy shouted.

"You've killed one before, just do it again!" Nico advised.

"Yeah, when I had Zoë, Bianca, and Grover helping me!" Percy pointed out. He ducked and rolled past the lion's paw, narrowly missing its sharp fang. Its fur was indestructible. He couldn't kill this thing without the help of freeze-dried astronaut food.

Gryffindor raised his hands and the ground exploded, pushing Nico and Percy too far apart to help or speak to each other. The Nemean lion pounced again, barely missing Percy's neck. He knew it was hopeless; he couldn't dodge this thing forever. He was up against the god of spells-Gryffindor knew more about dueling than the son of Poseidon ever would. He was stronger than any hero...

_Maybe even strong enough to kill his own lion. _

While the Nemean lion got ready to charge again, Percy did the stupidest thing imaginable: he grabbed the lion by the tail and climbed his back. The lion roared and swiped, but Percy was able to dodge claw after claw. Gryffindor pushed the air in front of him, and it was as though a boulder had slammed into Percy's stomach. He fell off the lion, gasping for breath, and hit the ground hard.

Unfortunately for Gryffindor, the boulder-air had also hit his sacred animal. And the beast wasn't happy about it. It turned and ran towards its master, fangs bared. It jumped, ready to crush the god of spells under its massive claws... but Gryffindor, in a panic, disappeared in a flash of golden light. Without its master to sustain it, the lion turned to dust.

Percy pushed himself off the ground and ran to Nico's side. Nico wasn't doing so well with his fight. No matter what he tried, every blow seemed to hit him. "Foolish mortal!" Ravenclaw shouted. "I know every move you make! You cannot surprise the goddess of divination!"

Percy felt himself rise into the air, trapped by Ravenclaw's magic. "Stand down, Nico di Angelo, or I will kill your brother!"

Nico stopped dead in his tracks. But he wasn't afraid... he was grinning. "You're forgetting something, Ravenclaw. Your prophecies are self-fulfilling. If I don't save him, you can't see into my future anymore."

In response, Ravenclaw tightened Percy's invisible cage. He didn't know what would happen if he touched the edge, and didn't want to find out.

"Save your brother, or save yourself," Ravenclaw warned.

"You sure I won't die?" Nico asked. It didn't sound like he was talking to Ravenclaw anymore. " 'Damn to Hades' at the incantation... 'damn to Hades' at the incantation..." Nico chanted to himself.

Ravenclaw's victorious smile faltered. "A child of the Underworld needs no incantation-"

"DAMN TO HADES!"

There were thousands of troops on the battlefield, even though half of them had already retreated. There was no way anyone could hope to take them all out.

And yet, Nico did. As far as the eye could see, every monster exploded, each forming a black cloud, the signature black that Nico's 'damn to Hades' created. Blaise and Hestia were the only ones left, with Thalia, Roszí, Ianthe, and Will standing between them.

But why did Nico look so scared?

"It didn't work on her..." Nico whispered.

Ravenclaw shouted, and a beam of light hit Nico square in the chest. He fell over, clutching his stomach. He coughed, and blood came out of his mouth. Ravenclaw's smile returned as another beam of light formed in her hand. "Die, traitor to Hecate."

A bull the size of a train slammed into Ravenclaw. She sputtered back, sticky with golden ichor, the blood of the gods. Ravenclaw eyed the bull as it geared up to charge again. "I know when a battle is lost," Ravenclaw said. "Tell your patron that Hecate will be victorious, no matter Hades' plan! I have seen it!" She went the same way as Gryffindor. Percy fell from the air and landed on the soft grass.

"No problem, thanks, Al," Nico said. He laid on the grass and coughed some more. Blood covered his lips like red paint.

Will ran to Nico's side, grabbed Nico's hand, and whispered a healing spell. "Why are you always the one who gets hurt?"

"To spite you," Nico replied. "Help me up."

"Guys! The bull's back!" Blaise shouted in alarm.

"Whoa!" Nico shouted, and ducked instinctively. The bull dove for Nico and knocked him to the ground with his massive nose. Its tail wagged like a dog as it licked Nico's body, covering him in slobber. "Down, boy! Down! Ah! Stop it!" Nico was laughing hysterically. "Cerus, sit!"

The bull sat.

"Lie down!"

The bull lied down.

"And, chill!"

The bull rolled onto its side.

Nico turned to Will. "Give me some ambrosia."

Will gave him some ambrosia.

Nico pat the bull's head and fed him the ambrosia. It licked it up eagerly, knocking Nico to the ground again. Nico fell on his butt, laughing. "It's okay, guys. He's friendly."

"Not to Ravenclaw," Percy pointed out.

Nico looked up from Cerus and shot Percy one of his wicked smiles. "Scratch that. He's friendly unless you try to kill me. Isn't that right, boy?"

Cerus wagged his tail.

"Where did you even get a ten-ton bull?" Thalia asked.

"He's Persephone's," Nico said. "In Ancient Greece, he was a wild bull. He trampled entire villages and destroyed farmland on a whim. No one could stop him until Persephone caught him trampling one of her sacred flower fields. She calmed him and tamed him. When she rises from the Underworld in March, she rides home on Cerus's back, and they make the spring flowers bloom together."

"It is December," Roszí said.

Nico rolled his eyes. "Gee, is it? I had no idea."

Thalia glared at him. "Nico, stop it."

Roszí shot Nico a glare of her own. "Cerus becomes the Taurus constellation in the winter. Why is thy bull not in the stars?"

Nico sat down, leaning against Cerus's massive stomach. He was pretty relaxed, considering he almost died a few minutes ago. "Persephone decided to start using him year-round. When the whole Zeus and Europa thing happened, Zeus plagiarized Persephone's constellation and remade Taurus." Nico looked up at his giant bull. "Cerus kept me company in the Underworld after Bianca died. Sometimes Persephone loaned him to me when she needed something done. He's like Mrs. O'Leary on steroids."

Cerus whined, so Nico stood. Cerus rolled over and put his chin on the ground. "He wants us to get on top," Nico said. "This is our ticket to the Underworld."

"I'm off, then," Thalia said. "I'll get Camp Half-Blood to put some defenses up, then get one of Hecate's kids to teleport me to L.A. with Lou and Alabaster. Roszí, Ianthe, join the rest of the Hunters in England-they'll need you there."

"You got it," Ianthe said with a smile. Roszí nodded too.

Percy scrambled on top of Cerus. It was like climbing a small mountain, one that smelled like a barnyard. He and Nico helped Hestia up, then Blaise. Thalia waved good-bye, then she and her sisters disappeared into the woods.

The Doors of Orpheus split open for Cerus. Blaise and Hestia cast lumos so they could all see each other in the dark, twisting tunnel.

"What's the plan?" Hestia asked.

"I thought that was obvious," Nico replied. "Who's the one person who'd know where the Artifacts are?"

"Persephone," Blaise realized. "She was the one who hid them last time, in the Wizarding World. Hades would give them to her again for safe keeping."

"Right," Nico said. "Think about it. She meant to send me alone to barter with Ceres. Then, yesterday, when I was asleep in the infirmary, Persephone spoke to me about the war. Now, she saved my life with Cerus."

"You think she's on our side?" Percy asked.

"I'm not sure," Nico said, "but something's bugging me. Why would she delay the trial? She'd've gotten the exact same outcome if Hades refused to show up to the Solstice meeting, and without a time-consuming, risky quest. Everyone knew the trail was a front for war. She said she wanted time to prepare, but she only bought herself a day. Something else is going on."

"She's not going to speak to us just because we have her bull," Percy pointed out. "And if you get anywhere close to the palace Hades will sense you and kill you."

Nico nodded. "I know. That's why we're going to offer up a prisoner. I happen to know someone in the Underworld who's working for Hecate, someone Persephone already has a vendetta against."

"Who?" Percy asked.

"Melinoe," Nico said. "Goddess of ghosts, and Persephone's daughter."

**END NOTES**

Body Count: 4 (yes I was serious last time I'm totally keeping track)

This week's beta commentary:  
STORY: Our forces have enough time defending D.O.A. Recording Studios  
LISSY: Ten years and I literally just realized D.O.A. is short for "Dead on Arrival." I am dense.  
OLI: lol i only realized this cuz of the theme song for friends

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)  
Oli - Beta Reader (Tumblr paradoxicalpsychic)  
Suhalia - Beta Reader (Archive Of Our Own users/milkandtahoney/)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!

**COMMENTS**

**ShadeFireDragon**

_I like how Nico just told the Fates to f*** off XD You go Nico!_

Me too. They deserve it sometimes!

_Ghosts of millennia, huh? I guess this is where the title came from :) Nice prophecy making too_

Yep, that's where it comes from. And thank you, I do my best.

**The Goode Ravenclaw**

_this is finally working so I'm sorry for not commenting for the last couple chapters, but I was able to comment on wattpad. when I read the chapter name, I though it was a different kind of talk..._  
_I really like Percy Weasley a whole lot more now. I'm glad he has redemption and ***_

Yeah, I saw your comments on WattPad! I'll respond to them soon if I haven't already. The title was supposed to have (You'll Wish It Was That One) at the end, but this site has a limit on how many characters you can have in a title. I'm glad you like Percy! I always thought his redemption was pretty rushed in the original books.

_ok, first of all, Lou, how dare you attack my baby boy Nico?!  
I honestly love Percy Weasley and his redemption track. I gotta say, the wizard sides of things are a whole lot easier to follow than the demigod side.  
I'm glad that the demigods were able to relax a little bit with capture the flag... for a little bit. I really enjoyed the capture the flag scene and Alabaster and Nico coming out of no where. And we finally have the prophecy and the origin/reason of the story name!  
I really like the whole thing with Cho, Hades, and Persephone. it came out of nowhere, but I love it (other than the whole torture thing because Cho is my baby)_

Remember, Lou attacked him as part of Alabaster and Annabeth's plan, so she didn't mean it. I'm sorry the demigod side is a little confusing, but I hope that now that the true quest has started it's easier to follow. The problem was that between the two quests (Persephone's and this one) I have to set up a lot of stuff so it can get confusing. If you ever choose to reread once the fic is done it'll be a lot easier to follow. I'm glad I did a good job at Capture the Flag, too. I read and reread the two we've seen in TLT and TTC to make sure I got it somewhat right. As for Cho's thing, why do you say it came out of nowhere? That she died out of nowhere or that Charon captured her out of nowhere? I thought I did okay on that, but I'm always willing to take critique.


	23. When You Almost Call Your BF a Fascist

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

Mussolini.

That is all.

(Also the title's supposed to be "That Awkward Moment When You Almost Call Your Boyfriend a Fascist")

**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: Fit For No One (part 2)  
Content Warning: Cursing, Sexual Themes, Loss of Your Innocence (yes, again)  
Word Count: 3993

Now it's time for my FAVORITE CHAPTER!

Remember that Mussolini is a son of Ares. That comes up.

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_NICO_**

* * *

_Nico saw something he wasn't supposed to see. He was having trouble sleeping and did what he always did-sneak into the kitchen and steal something to eat. Mamma was very strict about treats after dinner, but sugar was the only thing that calmed his mind, and, besides, Cucinare was good at her job._

_He snuck into the hallway and down the stairs, through to the library and Nonno's office, all the way to where the preparation room was. It was a small room between the dining room and kitchen; the place where Cucinare put the food so the servants could take it to the dining room. Nico liked to think of it as his secret lair, even if it wasn't secret. He wanted to be a hero like all the men in the newspaper-brave young men fighting and dying for their country, like the Greek heroes Papà would tell him about. Nico wanted to be a hero when he grew up. And every hero needs a secret lair._

_When Nico tiptoed into the kitchen, he heard Mamma's voice coming from the sitting room. A curious little boy, he crouched as close to the archway as he could and listened. It wasn't rude. Heroes eavesdropped all the time. It was how they knew things._

_"He cannot do this, Father! You've retired."_

_"He may do as he likes. If he wants me in Rome, I leave for Rome."_

_"Rome!" Nico heard the click of Mamma's heels on the marble floor. "Oh, Rome! There is no place for you in Rome!"_

_"Not so, not anymore." Nonno sighed. "What is there to do, Maria?"_

_"Say no!"_

_Nonno laughed a harsh and bitter laugh. "No one says no to Il Duce and gets away with it."_

_"You will die, Father. You step one foot into that city as a governor, and you will be assassinated. How many metals have you won for your bravery? How many thousands of lives did you save in the Great War? This is how Benito Mussolini repays those to whom he is in debt?"_

_"Do not blame the man for the administration."_

_"What administration?!" she cried. "There is nothing and no one now but him! The only hope I have left is my work and my family. That devil incarnate may have stolen my country, but he will not steal you!"_

_Silence for a moment. "I will make myself useful to you, Maria, I swear," came a gravelly voice. "I'll find a way to pass on information for your friends to use."_

_Nico inched forward and peered through the archway. Nonno stood from his chair with great effort and embraced a sobbing Mamma. "Don't cry, my love. Be strong, and trust in Jesus almighty." His words popped and cracked. These simple actions exhausted him. This wasn't Nico's grandfather, Generale d'Armata Enrico di Angelo, Four-Star General of the Italian Army, an intellectual of endless strength and commanding presence. Who was this seventy-year-old man, beaten by time and ready to surrender? Where was Nico's idol? What did that old man do to him?_

_Mamma wiped the tears from her face. "When do they come to take you?"_

_"We must prepare a dinner for tomorrow night. And make sure-Andrew Devin-is there. Remind him of his promise. I won't let you be punished because he will not marry the mother of his children."_

_"He will be there, Father. I love you."_

_"I love you too, Maria."_

_Nico backed away from the archway and ran all the way back to his room. He knew that heroes never cried, but that didn't stop silent tears from streaming down his cheeks._

_Heroes were supposed to die. Grandfathers weren't._

* * *

"Neeks?"

Nico caught the lump in his throat before it could turn into tears. "Yeah?" he managed, but his voice was weak.

Will ran a hand through his hair the way he knew Nico liked. "Everyone else is asleep. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Talk about what, Will?"

"You blacked out, Nico-I couldn't get your attention. It was like you weren't here. And, you were whispering to yourself in Italian. You don't do that unless you're in a bad place." Will squeezed his hand. "It was the dementors, wasn't it?"

Nico nodded. "After Al cut the connection, there was a few moments when... I'm sorry I spaced out, my memories keep coming back, and they like to slap me in the face, but normally they're happy. But, this one... it's not happy."

He went on to describe it. Will listened, pushing Nico closer until he was practically on his lap. He wrapped his arms around Nico and pressed his lips to his forehead. Nico shook, but he didn't let himself cry. There was no one left in the world but Will right now, the warmth of his touch, his breath on Nico's skin.

"What year was that?" Will asked.

Nico thought for a moment. "I was seven. So... 1936."

Will smiled. "Born 1929 then, right?" Nico nodded. Will cocked his head to the side the way he usually did when he was joking around. Nico felt his heart drum in his chest. It was utterly adorable. "So, I'm dating a ninety-year-old. Old man Nico."

Nico grabbed Will's cheeks and kissed that adorkable smirk off of his face. He'd given that boy his virginity three days ago (how had it only been three days since Persephone's quest?) and they hadn't gotten a minute alone since then. Anyone could wake up at any moment and catch them mid-makeout session, but the danger only made it more fun.

"Nico, Nico, I need to breathe," Will gasped, pushing him away. "And stop distracting me, we were talking about your nightmare."

"You can't blame a man for trying."

"I'll admit, it was a good attempt." Will sat there in silence, cheeks flushed, panting, trying to catch his breath. "Dammit I love you." He closed his eyes and fell, so he was lying on Cerus's back. Nico crawled to his side and laid with him, resting his head on Will's chest. He could hear every beat of the boy's heart, even through his shirt.

"It wasn't a nightmare," Nico told him. "There's just moments where I black out and remember."

"Really? That's... not normal."

"I figured it was part of my ADHD. Don't you normally sort of drift off?"

"Not like that. You sound more like it's PTSD than ADHD."

"It's not PTSD, Solace, I promise. I think, I dunno, I'm just a little weird. It's not like I forgot my past in a normal way."

Will was quiet. He got his thinking face, eyes darting and a half-moon smile. It was utterly adorable. "Was it the Lotus?" he asked. "You've never said what happened."

Nico closed his eyes. He could still see that vision from when he tried to summon his mother's spirit. "Hades bathed me and Bianca in the Lethe." to protect us, I think, so when he put us in the Lotus we had no idea where we came from and couldn't spill the beans. That way, Zeus couldn't find us." Nico laughed bitterly. "He wanted his pawns safe and sound."

"But how do you remember if you were bathed in the Lethe? I thought that lasts forever? How do you even remember your name?"

That was a really good point. Why were the memories coming back? He remembered Iapetus, or Bob, now. If the Lethe could do that to an immortal, why didn't it have the same effect on him?

"It's because I'm a child of the Underworld, and alive, so the Lethe might not have the full effect on me," Nico decided.

"Or maybe Hades protected you somehow?" Will offered.

"He wouldn't care enough about us to do that."

"But if he wiped your memory to protect you in the first place-"

"Shut up, Solace."

"Nico-"

"I said shut up. I don't want to think about him anymore. Whatever happened, it doesn't matter. I'm not his son anymore and I'm remembering and it's fucking wonderful."

"Okay, okay, you don't have to get all defensive." There was an angry pit in Nico's stomach, but it wasn't enough that he was willing-or able-to leave Will's arms. "You said were born 1929?" Will said, smartly changing the subject. "Guess that means you grew up in fascist Italy?"

"Seriously, what's 'fascist' mean?"

"Nevermind."

"No, not _'nevermind_,' Paul said that word too, will someone just tell me-"

Will's lips were on Nico's, and his hand was back in Nico's hair. It was hard to pay attention to anything else. His kiss warmed Nico to the core, expelled any chill he had left from those dementors. When Will pulled away, Nico brought their foreheads together, hands resting on his boyfriend's neck.

Will brushed his thumb over Nico's bottom lip. "What was it like for you, living in Italy? You learn about all that in school, but I've never talked to a real-life, um, you get what I mean."

Nico thought for a moment. "It was, I guess I'd say normal, but of course I would think it was normal. We weren't _normal _normal, though. We were old money, really old money. We could trace our roots back to one of the noble houses of the Roman Empire. I wouldn't be surprised if I have some Jupiter or Mars in me. Maybe even both."

"That would explain how you found Camp Jupiter, and how you learned Latin so easily."

Nico laughed. "Latin and Italian aren't super different from each other. It was like learning a language on easy-mode."

He leaned in to kiss Will again, but the boy pulled back after the slightest touch of their lips. "You were saying?" he asked.

"You're a tease."

"You love me, and you know it."

Nico tried to go in for a kiss again, but Will was too fast. Nico groaned. "Fine, dammit. Most of the men in my family were career soldiers, politicians, or both. My grandfather was an army general in the Great War, then got into politics. He was a diplomat in D.C. before I was born, then Mayor Alverà's chief advisor in Venice. He retired when I was four, so we moved back to our family villa in _la Valle d'Aosta... _"

"But now it looks like he was involved in Mussolini's Rome," Will finished.

"It's not that," Nico said. "Il Duce was always Prime Minister, even when Nonno was still in politics. He was in power when Nonno became diplomat to D.C. But... I always thought of Nonno as Italy's greatest hero. Everyone knew he was a hero, but heroes are supposed to die, right? But he was such a great warrior that he kept trying to die for Italy and still didn't. I used to think God himself made sure Nonno stayed alive so he could help his country even more. But, he was so helpless. Like Mamma said, why would they do that to a hero?"

"Since when are heroes supposed to die, Nico?"

"I dunno... that's how it is, right? I wanted to be a soldier and die for my country. I mean, I didn't really know what death _was_, like, emotionally, just that I wanted to be a hero and all the stories I heard had the hero die at the end."

"Wow," Will said, his voice far away. "You hear about all this in school, the propaganda, and brainwashing, but-"

"What do you mean brainwashing?" Nico said, slightly offended. "I'm not brainwashed! I was a little kid!"

"It doesn't matter, Neeks. Drop it." Nico was about to defend his honor, but Will finally drew him in for the long-awaited kiss, and it was everything his teasing had promised. Nico was in heaven; he easily forgot what he was angry about.

"Will..." he whispered. If there hadn't been any danger of getting caught, Nico didn't know if he'd be able to keep temptation away. But, there were three other people there, and he had enough to worry about without putting his, ah, _feelings _on display for the world to see. "Will, we have to tone it down." The irrational part of him screamed in protest.

Will grunted in response. Instead of kissing, they laid down together and wrapped their arms around each other. Nico closed his eyes and focused on Will's hot breath hitting his ear. He never wanted to sleep alone again.

"You don't remember anything about that dinner, with the people who came for your grandfather?" Will asked.

"I..." The moment Will said it, a faint memory rose to the surface. "Mamma woke up Bianca and me early that day. She said important people were coming over." The memory came back in real time. He spoke the words before he had time to process it, his voice getting stronger and stronger with each breath. "Papà-Hades-would be coming home from work in Germany..."

"You will stay by my side and do as I say. You will sit still, do not speak unless spoken to, and be on your absolute best behavior," Mamma instructed.

"Why?" Bianca asked.

"Because these are very important friends of Nonno's, and we have to be very respectful. Pick out your clothes for tonight right now and show them to me. I'll be in the kitchen, helping the servants prepare dinner."

Mamma was pickier than usual about their clothes, worse than when they had to get ready for Christmas services. And it wasn't just clothes-they had to take a bath, get their hair trimmed, Bianca even put makeup on.

Nico was putting the finishing touches on his hair when he heard a knock on his door. "_ Un minuto, Mamma!" _he called. He combed the last bit of hair in place. " _Va bene! Fatto! _"

"Look at my handsome son."

Nico turned, his face lit up with glee. "Papà!" He divebombed at his father, hitting him in the gut. Papà lifted him, then, at the last second, flipped him over so Nico's hair grazed the floor. Nico laughed in delight, and didn't stop until Papà finally put him back on the ground.

"I may not be able to do that much longer," Papà commented. "Seven years old. You're too big now."

"_Qualcuno è importante per la cena_," Nico informed him.

Papà raised his eyebrow, a teasing twinkle in his eye. "What was that?"

"A man comes for supper," Nico said in his choppy English.

Papà smiled. "Yes, more than one." He lifted Nico and placed him in a nearby chair. "Let me fix your hair before Mamma gets angry at me." So, Papà took Nico's comb and went to work on his hair. "Listen to me, Nico. I know how stubborn you are-I admit that comes from me-but you must listen to Mamma. Sit still and stay quiet. There will come a day when I cannot protect you anymore. You must learn how to take orders, or you will not survive."

"Yes, Papà," Nico chirped. He'd do anything his father said. He was just happy he was home.

A half-hour later, Nonno, Mamma, Papà, Bianca, and Nico stood by the door, waiting for the guests to arrive. Everyone was stiff and silent. Mamma held Nonno's hand desperately, as though she thought that if she let go, he would run to Rome himself. Papà put a comforting hand on the small of her back; his other was on Bianca's shoulder. Nico played with the hem of his suit jacket nervously until Mamma caught him and told him to stand still.

Finally, one of the servants led four men and one woman in the house. Mamma, Nonno, and Papà left the di Angelo siblings alone in favor of their new visitors. Bianca, shy even for a nine-year-old, took Nico's hand. One look confirmed that she was close to tears. Nico did his best to smile at her, despite how overwhelmed he felt. He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Focus on the good, Bianca. Papà's home."

Mamma ushered the visitors to the table. One of the visitors sat at the head of the table, where Nonno usually sat. Nonno sat to the man's right instead. Papà took the foot of the table, though he didn't seem too happy about it. Mamma pulled Nico and Bianca into the kitchen, handed them a plate of food, and said, "Eat here. Stay silent." Then, she took some food from the preparation room and started to serve the visitors.

One of the servants swung the door open, and Nico heard someone saying, "Eat, Mrs. di Angelo. Sit beside Rachele." Mamma didn't come back into the kitchen after that.

It was no fun, eating with the servants bustling around, unable to talk to Bianca. The night dragged on. With each passing minute, Nico thought the dinner must be over, yet it continued into the hours of the night, until Nico's eyes felt heavy. But Mamma said to stay put, and Bianca wouldn't let him disobey. Papà had told Bianca the same thing he told Nico, and she wouldn't let him down.

Finally, a servant came in from the dining room and said, "Miss di Angelo! Mr. di Angelo! Master Andrews asked for you!"

Nico and Bianca jumped up, all tiredness forgotten. As giddy as he was, Nico forced himself to calm down as Mamma asked, then led his sister into the dining room.

The adults were just about finished with their meal. Mamma and Rachele were chatting politely; Mamma no longer seemed on edge, at least. Nonno listened to one of the visitors, himself sporting an easy smile.

Nico didn't realize at the time how fake that smile was.

"Ah," Papà said, raising his wine glass in a sort of toast. "Here are my children, Nico and Bianca." Nico had never heard his father speak Italian before. It was bizarre.

Papà turned to them. "Introduce yourselves to Nonno's friends." Mamma glanced ever so slightly at Papà, shocked that he would refer to such important government officials in this way. He took no notice of it, nor did Nico, at the time.

"What beautiful children!" Rachele told Mamma.

"Thank you," Mamma said.

The man at the head of the table studied Nico and Bianca curiously. Finally, he nodded. "Fine grandchildren, Enrico. Strong, young Italians." The man sounded bored more than anything else, like the words were just for show.

Nevertheless, Nonno smiled graciously. "My daughter deserves the credit."

Mamma lowered her head, embarrassed from the attention. Papà put his hand on top of hers and squeezed. "Maria does her work well so I may do mine."

Nonno's friend turned to Nico. "Tell me, Nico, will you be a soldier?"

He should've simply said, "_ Sì, _" and let the adults get back to their conversation, but with all eyes on him at last, he forgot about his promise to Mamma and Papà. "I'm going to be the greatest soldier ever, like Nonno was! I'm going to win all the metals and die for Italy like a hero!"

The floodgates had opened, and Bianca forgot her shyness. With glee, she cried, "I'm going to be the best Mamma ever! I'll have lots of sons, and they'll all be heroes like Nonno and Nico!"

Mamma, Papà, and Nonno froze. Suddenly, Nico remembered his promise and realized he'd made a mistake. Beside him, a guilty Bianca whimpered and hid behind Papà' shoulder, peeking her eyes out to study the crowd. It took all of Nico's bravery not to run to his father's other shoulder, but a soldier shouldn't hide.

Papà met the eye of the man at the head of the table. Something transpired between the two of them, something beyond Nico's comprehension. The man's eyes glazed over for a fraction of a second, then he blinked a few times. He turned to Mamma. "Your children are a bright future for Italy."

Mamma broke out in a smile. She met the man's eye, and said,

"_ Grazie, Il Duce... _" Nico whispered. He hadn't remembered until that very moment. "Mussolini... we were... that was..."

"You had Benito Mussolini _in your house_?!" Will cried.

But Nico's mind was back in 1936.

* * *

_Shortly after Nico and Bianca's outburst, Il Duce rose from the table, demanded to speak to Nonno, and the two departed. Mamma brought Nico and Bianca upstairs, her thoughts somewhere else. She left both of them in Bianca's room absent-mindedly and wandered away before she could correct her mistake and take Nico to his own bed._

_"What's wrong with Mamma?" Bianca asked._

_"Il Duce wants to take Nonno away," Nico whispered. "Mamma and Nonno were talking last night, and Mamma said he's going to Rome and if he goes to Rome someone will kill him."_

_Bianca's eyes welled up with tears. "No! They won't take Nonno!"_

_"We have to do something, Bianca," Nico decided. "We should go to Rome when Nonno does and protect him. That way, if someone tries to kill him, they'll kill us instead. We'll be the heroes."_

_Bianca nodded solemnly, tears running down her face. "I won't let anyone hurt Nonno."_

_"Nor will I," came Papà's voice from the doorway. Nico and Bianca met his grim expression with teary eyes. Papà walked further into the room, knelt down, and took his children's hands. "Listen to me. The day will come when you will fight for your family. You may even die fighting for your family. But that day is far away right now. I am watching over you, even when you do not see me. I will never let anyone hurt either of you or anyone you love." He wrapped them both in a warm hug as they cried into his arms._

_But the hug had to end, and it did. Papà pulled away from Nico and said, "Nonno wants to speak to you. Go to his office."_

_Nico could only stand there. He wasn't ready to face the world yet._

_Bianca pushed Papà's hand away and embraced Nico, then kissed him on the cheek. "You can save Nonno," she whispered in his ear. "Good luck, hero."_

_Her words gave him the strength to leave Papà's protection and march into Nonno's office. There, Nonno and Il Duce stood, locked in a serious conversation. At the sound of Nico's pattering feet, Il Duce held up a hand, and Nonno stopped talking._

_Nico approached, quiet and respectful. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice._

_"Come closer, Nico," Il Duce said. Behind him, Nonno tensed slightly but did nothing. Nico edged closer and closer until he was within a hand's reach of Il Duce. "I fought alongside Enrico during the Great War. He saved my life a thousand times. You have no better role model."_

_"Thank you, Il Duce," Nonno said robotically._

_Il Duce didn't respond. His hawk's gaze remained fixed on the boy in front of him, as though Nico di Angelo was an atomic bomb-absurdly powerful, awe-inspiring, a weapon no one could restrain._

_"I never met your father before today," Il Duce told Nico, "but I've met his family in Germany. Had I known about your mother's relationship sooner... but, that's another matter. Your father can't be here all the time, can he?"_

_"No, Il Duce," Nico said._

_"He does important work when he's not by your side. My father was the same type of man, in a manner of speaking. The work your father does in Germany-and the family he has there-is of the utmost importance. He is to be respected, revered, and uninterrupted, even by me. So, I've decided that your grandfather could be best used here." Nonno's eyes went wide just long enough for Nico to take notice. "Governor of Rome is one thing, but the future of Italy is another. Boys need a father, and since yours cannot stay by your side, Enrico must."_

_He put his hand on Nico's shoulder. "I know the stock your father makes, Nico di Angelo. I expect great things from you. I expect you to be Italy's greatest hero."_

* * *

**END NOTES**

Hey... I managed to write a scene with Bianca where she's 100% likable! For a character I like a lot, she sure is an asshole in this story... oops.

Here's what I wrote to my betas at the end of this chapter:  
I just wrote an entire chapter about Nico di Angelo and Benito Mussolini. This is not what I expected when I sat down to write today. What the fuck.

Planner before I wrote this chapter:  
\- Nico has a flashback brought on by dementors.  
\- He and Will talk about it.  
\- Bring up more fascist childhood shit?

Planner after I finished the first draft of this chapter:  
\- Will and Nico talk about Mussolini  
\- Because after the last two chapters we need a break from the action, so... MUSSOLINI  
\- And let's throw some cute solangelo in there so the people are satisfied after they're like "WHY DOES THIS EXIST?"

SOURCES:  
Wikipedia /Benito_Mussolini  
Wikipedia /Italian_Army_ranks  
Wikipedia /Mayor_of_Venice#Kingdom_of_Italy_(1866–1946)  
Wikipedia /Mayor_of_Rome#Kingdom_of_Italy_(1870-1946)  
Wikipedia /Giuseppe_Bottai#Political_career

This week's beta commentary:  
STORY: I know the stock your father makes, Nico di Angelo.  
LISSY: "Be like Hitler. He's a good role model."

STORY: "Come closer, Nico," Il Duce said.  
OLI: all i know about Mussolini was that he was very charismatic (he was For The People- there are videos of him shirtless) he was a womanizer (reasons why he and Hitler didn't always get along) and he wanted to get the trains in Italy running on time and that literally never happened. Also, he gifted Hitler a fireplace (soldiers chipped pieces of it off when they lost WWII) and he kept a lamp on in his office so ppl would think he was working  
LISSY: You know, when you get past the evil dictator stuff he's just this man-child pining for attention.  
LISSY: And have I mentioned that I've been misreading "Il Duce" as "Il Dolce" for so long that my head won't stop calling this man a piece of chocolate?

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)  
Oli - Beta Reader (Tumblr paradoxicalpsychic)  
Suhalia - Beta Reader (Archive Of Our Own users/milkandtahoney/)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!


	24. Shut Up, Merlin, You Idiot

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

Nico's group captures Melinoe. The war continues to escalate.

**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: General Audiences  
Content Warning: Cursing, Sexual Themes (mild)  
Word Count: 3909

Macaria is pronounced Mah-kah-RYE-uh. And Mnemosyne is NEO-sign.

Oli's at a sports tournament, so she couldn't get to today's chapter. We miss you, Oli!

This is the last one for today.

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_NICO_**

Cerus dropped them off at the banks of the River Lethe, gave Nico a big, slobbering kiss, then sprinted home to the Palace of Hades. Nico didn't speak to anyone on their way there. His friends kept asking what was wrong, but he pretended not to hear them. Will was just as silent.

"Did something happen, guys?" Percy asked. "Please tell me you didn't break up. Jason and I have a bet going about your wedding and-"

Nico shot Percy a perfect ten death glare. He shut his mouth.

But, now that they'd arrived, they had a mission to complete, one that required teamwork. As much as Nico wanted to shadow-travel to the other side, he couldn't take four people with him. Even if he could, there was no way Hades wouldn't sense dark magic so close to his palace. It was dangerous enough for Nico to be in his realm. Until they reached the surface, all child of the Underworld special features were turned off.

"How do we get across?" Blaise asked. "Percy, could you...?"

Percy shook his head. "I could barely hold it when it was just Nico and Thalia crossing. I can't risk it; if I lose my strength, that's it."

"One drop and everything's gone," Nico confirmed. "No, I have a better idea... how do you feel about petting zoos?"

Just west of Elysium, where the waters of the River Lethe met the waters of the River Mnemosyne, in the outskirts of the Fields of Asphestol, the parts where only the bravest and stupidest spirits dared to rome, the god Menoetes, one of the few damions who fought Heracles and lived, ferociously guarded a flock of Hades' sacred animals: a bunch of midnight-black cattle.

It was truly one of the biggest question marks in all of Greek mythology.

"Stay away from the cattle," Nico warned. "You get anywhere close, and Menoetes will _end you _."

"Over a bunch of cows?" Percy asked. "Seriously? Why does Hades even need cows?"

"Are the cows going to split the Lethe for us? I'm really confused, Nico," Hestia said.

"I don't give a shit about the cows, guys. I just happen to know someone who's rather fond of them. Now, listen. Stay behind me, and don't say a word. She's pretty touchy, to say the least."

"Who is?" Will asked.

Nico's eye caught something shiny. "The Princess of the Underworld."

She had long, silver-blonde hair that fell all the way to her feet; half of it was tightly braided into a thick, spiraling bun in the back of her head. A golden tiara sat on her head. She looked about Nico's age, but those glowing golden eyes, so like her mother's, had the wisdom of a woman five times older. She wore a simple white sundress, and the feathery wings of an angel, identical to Thanatos's, except his was black and her's were white. Her skin was see-through if you focused too hard on it. When she walked through the cattle, she glided like any other spirit of the Underworld. But she wasn't a spirit.

She was Macaria, the goddess of blessèd death, also known as fading.

Nico stood there, waiting for her to turn around and see him. She scared too easily for him to approach her, and her parents were very, very protective. One gasp and the King and Queen of the Underworld would smite first and ask questions never. Nico was surprised they ever let her out of her room, much less the palace.

Finally, she saw him. Her eyes lit up, and she glided towards him, hands outstretched. "Brother! Whatever happened to you?"

Nico gave a small smile. "That's the question, isn't it? A lot, honestly. I don't think we have the time to go over it all."

Macaria laughed, and pulled Nico in for a hug. "It is so good to see you, Nico. Father told me you were dead, but I knew better. He's usually nice to his children after they pass on."

"I can't believe he told you I was fucking dead..." Nico grumbled. She gasped. "Gods, Cara. _Freaking _dead. Let me live, won't you?"

She giggled. Nico chuckled along with her. When she was in a good mood, she could be a breath of fresh air, one that Nico had taken advantage of many times before he ran into Hazel. He never meant to abandon her or anything, but then Gaea took up his attention, then school, then Riddle...

"Wait, her name's _Macarena _? Like the dance?" Percy asked.

Macaria's eyes widened at the new face. She jumped twenty feet back, fading until she was nearly transparent. Nico stuck his middle finger up at Percy and ran to fix his mess. "He's a friend, Cara! It's fine! He's my brother-his family adopted me after I, um, fell out of favor with Hades."

Macaria inched forward. She was still translucent, but not completely see-through. "So that's why he hates you now."

"Define 'hate,' please?"

"I once overheard him tell Mother that if you came within a thousand miles of the palace, he would kill you and then throw your soul in the Lethe so he'd never have to see you again."

Nico swallowed, hard. He was _definitely _within a thousand miles of the palace.

"I don't think he meant it!" Macaria said quickly.

"Oh, he meant it..." Nico sighed. "We need to cross the Lethe, Cara. You're the only one besides Hades himself who could part the waters on command. I know it's a lot to ask, showing up after two years and all, but, I swear, once this war is over I'll come back and explain everything."

Macaria stared at him hopefully. "Even though Father wants to rebirth you?"

"Um, yes... I think. How about I get Persephone to take you to the surface with her and visit you in Central Park?"

Macaria laughed with glee. "I've never seen the surface world in the daytime! Will you show it to me?"

"Sure. Get us as close to Melinoe as possible. She's conspiring with Hecate, so we're taking her hostage for Persephone."

Macaria led the way. The walk to the cattle fields had taken at least twenty minutes, but it took them mere moments to get back to where they started. That was the nice thing about having an über-powerful god of the Underworld on your side: they could mold Erebos like clay. Where there was once an impenetrable river now stood a land-bridge too high and sturdy for a single drop of water to pass.

"Why didn't you do that last time?" Percy asked quietly so he wouldn't scare Macaria again.

"I didn't know her back then," Nico answered.

"Nico tells me about all his adventures," Macaria said happily. "I'm glad Mother and Father had him to help them since I'm too weak to."

Nico couldn't help but blush. How had Hades fathered such a sweet and optimistic child?

"It will be dangerous for you to face the goddess of ghosts with all that you've been through," Macaria told him. "Melinoe finds what leads you to Death and tempts you with it. You must hold onto what keeps you living. What you will lose if you give in to Death."

She took a beautiful gold and ruby necklace off and draped it over Nico's neck. "To remind and protect you, brother. I will send Mother to collect Melinoe."

Nico looked up at Macaria's golden eyes, but, for a moment, they were a deep, dark brown. Her skin turned olive, and a floppy green replaced her tiara. He felt as though all the air was sucked out of him, how could Bianca be standing there, why would Macaria do this to him?

He blinked, and the vision was gone. "Thank you, Cara," he said, forcing his voice not to tremble. He kissed her on the cheek, then led his friends across the land bridge to Melinoe. The entire way, he could hear the voices of his Italian childhood rising out of the Lethe's waters.

_Oh, I am definitely going to die. _

They approached Melinoe's cave as silently as possible. "What are the chances she's still, you know-Nico what do you call, like, upstairs?" Blaise asked.

"The surface world," Nico said. "And, next to none. The sun was already rising when Cerus took us down, and that was hours ago. It's probably dinnertime, and she doesn't ascend until midnight."

"Can't you check on your iPod?" Percy asked.

"He broke it," Will said, smirking.

"That was one-hundred percent entirely your fault," Nico shot back.

The air turned twenty degrees colder. Nico's feet stopped working. He could see the mouth of Melinoe's cave, a gray pinprick in the distance.

Could that be what the prophecy meant? Melinoe would dig up something so horrible from his past that it would kill him? " 'The flower and angel both reach out their hand / for the ghosts of millennia and the promised land.' " Rachel whispered in his mind. The angel reaches for heaven while he reaches for his millennia-old ghosts, summoned by a millennia-old foe. Nico didn't know where "flower" came from, but other than that, a di Angelo walking into the hands of the goddess of ghosts seemed to fit the bill.

"You don't have to go," Will said.

_Sometimes I think you can read my mind, Will. _

Nico thought about that day in the bathroom when he was so close to slitting his wrists. He thought about Alastor, the thoughts he'd planted into his head to get him to try suicide a second time. He thought about that day in the graveyard when Alabaster had promised to give him the Artifacts of Thanatos. How eager he was to join his family, one way or another. How long he held onto that crush on Percy when it was well past its expiration date.

He remembered the way Will danced with him when he came home from Persephone's quest, how stupidly Hollywood it was, yet he did it anyway. He thought of Will singing _Do You Hear the People Sing _in his dorm's bathroom back at Hogwarts. How had Will pushed him out of his shell when he arrived at Camp Half-Blood with Athena's statue? When Riddle promised to torture Will into insanity, it hurt _so much _. He cared _so much. _

When he broke up with Will, his heart couldn't take it. Even though everyone was playing on his fatal flaw, what had he done when forced to leave the son of Apollo? Told him-begged him-to tell him to stay. "Tell me to stay, and I'll stay," he'd said. When he was dying after he defeated Riddle, his thoughts weren't on his past like they had been every time he got too close to Thanatos's grip. No, his thoughts were on Will. Nothing but Will.

"Come with me," Nico said. "You know all my secrets. You know all my ghosts. You'll keep me alive."

"What about the rest of us?" Percy asked. "Nico, we're all coming with you."

"No!" Nico cried. Last time, Percy hadn't had ghosts, but so many people had died since then. He knew about Blaise's absent mother and Hestia's death eater aunt and uncle, killed by the Furies for their crimes. He wasn't going to risk his brother or his friends. He didn't even want to risk Will, but he couldn't go in alone and hope to get back alive.

"We'll draw her out," Nico insisted. "When she gets close enough, Blaise, Hestia, stun her. Percy, protect them. And none of you get too close. Don't try to save us if we fall."

Will took Nico's hand. "We won't fall, Neeks. I won't let you."

Nico smiled. "I know. You always keep my nightmares away."

They pressed forward, and the world around him started to look all too familiar. "Listen to me before I go under, Will," Nico said. "I have a lot of ghosts, even more than I did last time I faced her. I'm going to be too good for Melinoe to resist. I'll be so overwhelming that she might not even notice you. Let her get close enough to get tempted, then drag me back to the others. No matter what I say or do, don't let go."

"Like the Sirens," Will confirmed. "Got it."

If Will said anything else, Nico didn't hear. In fact, he no longer knew the name Will Solace.

Bianca sat on the bench outside their old Venice apartment. Her black hair was in a messy bun, her bangs fell to her eyebrows. She wore a silver crop top and faded blue jeans. Her ears were pierced, and her nails were done midnight black. A thick book laid open beside her, on her lap was a spiral notebook.

"Oh, thank the gods, Nico. College is kicking my ass. Can you help me with this?" She slammed the textbook shut. "You know what? Nevermind. Homework can wait until Christmas break is over. We're in _Italia _, where the drinking age is sixteen, which means we can both go to a bar and cry about how life is unfair." She raised her eyebrows at Nico. "Come on, _mio piccolo angelo _! It was my twentieth, like, less than a week ago. This technically counts as a birthday gift."

Her iPhone buzzed. She glanced at it, and her face lit up. "I got a 4.0 this semester! Okay, now we _have _to celebrate. I'm so close to veterinary school I can taste it. Three more semesters, and bye-bye calculus, hello Cornell!"

She closed the notebook on her lap and threw it and her textbook into a messenger bag at her feet. "Let me drop this off inside, and then we'll go looking for somewhere to get a bottle of wine." But, the textbook was too thick, and it wouldn't go back into the bag. "Dammit! A little help? I wish I was an octopus, I need more hands."

Melinoe was frozen at Nico's feet. He dropped to his knees and lifted his head towards the black, rocky sky.

_I won't cry, I won't cry, I won't cry... _

"Nico?" Will asked gently.

"Bianca was alive," he whispered. "She was alive, she just turned twenty, we were on vacation in _Italia _, and she was trying to get me to celebrate her 4.0 college semester. She..."

Will kneeled beside him and wrapped him in a hug. "It's okay."

"She was gonna be a vet..." Nico whispered.

"I love you, Nico. Everything's okay."

**_RON_**

The last thing Ron needed was to sit in a dark and empty house, waiting to find out who else would die at the Ministry. But, that's what he got.

Percy was dead. His brother was a hero and a martyr. His father had killed the Minister of Magic. Bill and Charlie were somewhere in the Ministry, fighting to get out before someone noticed their distinctly ginger hair. Fred and George were trapped in their joke shop, surrounded by a mob of Ministry loyalists after they heard Dad's shout of "You killed my son!" on the radio and saw the name "Weasley" on the store's sign. Mum and Fleur were somewhere in America, protecting the underage Ginny from the Wizarding World's wrath.

And Ron was alone, safe in an empty house, protected by a Fidelius Charm, with nothing to do but wonder how many more family members he would lose before the dust settled.

Sirius, Hermione, and Hermione's family left him alone to grieve. It was the right thing to do, of course; still, part of him wished for them to distract him from his own mind. But it was one in the morning now, one hour into December 25th. They would all be in bed, asleep.

So Ron did the only thing left to do. He prayed.

"Give me a demigod dream, Morpheus. I need to know what's going to happen to my family. Tell me what to do, Merlin. You spoke to Hermione, well, I need you to speak to me. Tell- tell Hecate that I'll do anything she wants. Ask her how to save our world."

He laid in his bed and closed his eyes.

An island of cliffs sat in the middle of a violent sea. Two women stood on top of the highest cliff. The older of the two was seven feet tall, wearing a blue dress and a goatskin cloak over her shoulders. The second had auburn hair covered by crisscrossing cords of metal and a gray-blue dress extending to her bare feet. He recognized the older woman as Juno, but he had no idea who the younger woman was.

"Where are your dementors, Angelos?" Juno asked.

"Hecate summoned them," Angelos spat. "Why have you called me here, Mother? To mock me?"

"Daughter, please," Juno said. "You know I hate to see you like this, serving an ungrateful mistress. You are a princess of Olympus! Not a pawn of Hecate's."

"Then tell Father to set me free!" Angelos yelled, bitterness in her voice. "I did not ask for Merlin's affections! For Hecate to trap me here over _his _wandering eye... this is an injustice Father should have corrected long ago!"

Juno held up a hand to silence her daughter. "Jupiter will not set you free. But I will."

Angelos rolled her eyes. "_ If Jupiter ever found out about Merlin there would be war among the gods, Angelos. Better to stay here, after all, it is an honor to be patron of any island, even Azkaban _."

"There is war among the gods already," Juno informed her. "Hades fights Hecate. Her power and influence have extended too far. Your imprisonment is a prime example. I have decided to fight with him. You must remember Hades from your time in the Underworld."

Angelos's face softened. She got a glassy look in her eyes. "Hades asked you to set me free?"

"I brought your imprisonment to his attention. He was eager to assist."

That was enough for the infatuated Angelos. "What must I do?" she asked.

Juno smiled and pointed to Azkaban, looming on the horizon. "You are the goddess of dark magic. The remainder of Lord Voldemort's forces sit in prison, eager to take revenge against the titan who betrayed their master. Hecate's lands fall into civil war. Lead the death eaters into battle. Destroy Hecate, and Hades will forever be in your debt."

_Uh oh... _

His dream changed to a grand hall. Merlin stood by the podium, watching Hecate with wary eyes as she stormed down the aisle. "You, erm, have new information, I assume, Hecate? My darling wife, whom I love with all my heart?"

"Shut up, Merlin," Hecate snapped. "Azkaban was too good for that scoundrel. I should've put her in chains and thrown her into the River of Pain. Why I ever showed kindness to your _precious little _-"

"Diana enchanted me, as I've said-"

"Oh, yes, _**Diana**_is the one who taught Angelos _my _secrets and brought her to _my _cave and laid with her in _my _bed for months upon end!"

"Yes, and _**Angelos**_ is the one who _trapped_ me in that cave until you found me! You, my _wife_, who, if I recall correctly, _kept me there for a_ _decade_! Have I not been punished enough?"

"I am _not _the one at fault here!" Hecate shouted. "That little monster _you _created will tear down our realm when it's on its last legs! Do you care nothing for the people we swore to protect and defend?!" He didn't respond. She scoffed at him. "And 'Nimue' is the stupidest pet name I have ever heard in my entire life."

Merlin closed the gap between them, grabbed Hecate, and kissed her more aggressively than Ron would've ever liked to see. Hecate threw her hands on the sides of his head.

_Okay, if they start going at it, forget what I said, Morpheus, and wake me up. _

Merlin pulled his lips back a fraction of an inch, leaving Hecate panting. "I have never loved another, Hecate. No one but you."

"I will reduce the world to ash before I let Jupiter take you from me," Hecate whispered to him. "I will win this war for you, for my children, for my people. I will make myself an Olympian and force the council to keep you by my side, I will take you to America, to every center of Western Civilization, build you the finest throne you have ever seen and walk with you through Olympus. My people will walk among the mortals again, and they will know that you are so much more than a mere wizard. I will win you the respect you deserve, my beloved, I swear it."

Her hands fell from his cheeks to the crook of his arms. Her voice softened. "We're losing this war, Merlin. All I want, all I've ever wanted, is to protect my family. Persephone must face consequences for murdering hundreds of my children. Hades has caused too much destruction to stay where he is. Is this what I get instead of justice? My lands crumble to ruin while the Underworld stands strong?"

Merlin pressed his forehead to hers. "You are a compassionate ruler, involved in every aspect of your lands. Hades cares nothing for the dead and rules with a passive hand. That is why the Underworld is unaffected by the war."

"It doesn't matter why, all that matters is the Wizarding World. If I take the time to rebuild it, Hades will swoop in, and I'll be forced to surrender. But how much longer can it hold out? Fudge has been dead less than twelve hours, and there are riots across the country. Whole cities have shut down. I can't call it anything less than anarchy."

A small smile crept across Merlin's cheeks. Hecate's face lit up, hardly daring to believe it. "You've already taken care of it, haven't you?"

"Days ago, my darling. I have been in contact with Albus Dumbledore and, more importantly, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Annabeth Chase is set to meet with Ron and Hermione in mere hours. A spy in the Underworld has informed me that Pluto sent Hazel Levesque with Annabeth to retrieve the Philosopher's Stone. The Order will keep your lands from collapsing until their quest is done. When we have the Stone, we can heal the injured and bring the Wizarding World back to life. Hades will lose his advantage-you will have an army of immortal soldiers just as he does."

Hecate laughed with delight. "Oh, _Merlin... _"

He pressed a finger to her lips. "Save your praise. Juno has Angelos, yes, but I have secured an ally of my own. The goddess Bellona has pledged herself to us."

Hecate was near speechless. "How have you done such a thing?"

Merlin smiled triumphantly. "With great difficulty. Trust my instincts, Hecate. I won your lands from Jupiter's Roman fleet _before _I was a god. We've secured Mars's wife. It won't be long until we secure Mars himself. When he turns the tide of this war, Athena shall see Hades has no hope and join the winning side. I will win you both gods of war, my darling. I will pry victory from the hands of an Elder God."

"As you have before," Hecate agreed and leaned in to kiss him again.

Ron woke up, unsure if he should be jumping for joy or very, very afraid.

**END NOTES**

The thing about Diana? True to the legend.

I would like to point out that the Arthurian legend is the FOURTH mythology I've had to research for this story (Greek, Roman, and Wizarding). Make that SIX if you count the canons of both the PJO/HOO and HP series. And SEVEN if you count the history of Italy in the 1930's. I feel like I'm lowkey trying too hard for a fanfic but fuck it I'm going to.

SOURCES:  
wiki/Macaria#Goddess

.  
culture/mythology/children-zeus-hera/  
wiki/Angelos_(mythology)

wiki/Lady_of_the_Lake#In_medieval_literature

. #Lake

This week's beta commentary:  
STORY: "You, erm, have new information, I assume, Hecate? My darling wife, whom I love with all my heart?"  
STORY: "Shut up, Merlin," Hecate snapped.  
LISSY: That one moment where this suddenly becomes a BBC Merlin fic  
LISSY: I can't stop reading "Shut up, Merlin," in Bradley James's King Arthur voice.

STORY: "Come closer, Nico," Il Duce said.  
LISSY: For perspective, the US is only 2,500 miles wide.  
SUHAILA: oof

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)  
Oli - Beta Reader (Tumblr paradoxicalpsychic)  
Suhalia - Beta Reader (Archive Of Our Own users/milkandtahoney/)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!


	25. Everyone's Stupid 12-Year-Old Decisions

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

The wizards discuss Ron's dream. Nico's group set out for Persephone.

**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: General Audiences  
Content Warning: Cursing, Violence (mild), Sexual Themes (mentioned only)  
Word Count: 4142

I didn't post yesterday because I was updating my other fic, Shoot An Arrow Through His Heart. You should check it out!

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_PERCY_**

Percy liked watching Blaise and Hestia do magic. There was something effortless and cool about it. Thick rope poured out of their wand and wrapped itself around Melinoe's hands and feet, in case she shook off their stunning spell. They would have to carry her to the rendezvous point with Persephone. Hopefully it wasn't far, because she was a full-grown woman and not exactly on the skinny side.

Will threw him a banana from their supply bag. "Eat," he said. "I don't want you passing out."

"Thanks, doc," Percy said as he peeled the fruit.

"Pass one on to Nico? He went in that direction." Will threw another banana at Percy and pointed towards the river.

"What's he doing so close to the Lethe?" Percy asked.

"I don't know. You should check on him," Will said. "We were talking a bit about Nico's past before, and it was pretty heavy. Not sure what to say to him after that, honestly, and I think he feels the same way. I'm not the guy to bring up Bianca."

Percy nodded. "Gotcha. I'll be right back."

He found Nico perched on top of a pile of rocks overlooking the Lethe. He was far enough that he wasn't in danger of getting sprayed by the water, but it was still a little too close for comfort.

"Nico?" Percy called. He inched closer and saw exactly what he was afraid of. He gently put his hand on his brother's, preventing Nico from reopening his shoulder wound any further. "Hey. Let's put that away."

Percy didn't think about the fact that Nico had gauze on hand. He was just thankful that the wound wasn't deep, and stopped bleeding soon after he wrapped it up.

"It's only the second time," Nico said. "I wanted to on Persephone's quest, but I didn't. But everything kinda built on top of each other, you know?" And Nico launched into the story, everything, starting from his trip to Italy and ending with his run-in with Bianca. The things he hadn't wanted to share with anyone else. "What if I do love him, Percy? What if it wasn't just grief like Annabeth said?"

"Stop stressing about it," Percy advised. "Even if you do love him, that doesn't mean you have to forgive him. That doesn't make you guilty of murder." Nico said nothing, so Percy continued. "Look, that son of Zeus, Stalin? He killed millions of people too, and Jason and Thalia still love Jupiter. Does that make them bad people?"

"No," Nico said. "You're right. Thanks." He didn't sound any more sure than before.

"So, Bianca?" Percy asked, gesturing to the gauze on Nico's upper arm.

Nico couldn't meet his eye. He unconsciously played with the ruby on Macaria's necklace. "I made peace with all their deaths last year. But, especially after Alastor's poison dream, I can't stop thinking about her decision. I... get it. We'd been out of the Lotus less than a year, and we were both still thinking like it was the 1930's. It's why she reacted the way she did when I came out. She loved me, she'd never leave me, we both knew that, but she was raised in a different decade. It took me years to really adapt to the twenty-first century; she never had the time to. Back then, all she could ever be was a mother. Twelve, and she already had to raise someone. She felt trapped."

"You're right. That's exactly what she told me," Percy said. "But, Nico, it was selfish of her to do that when she knew you needed her. You're allowed to be upset."

"It wasn't selfish!" Nico protested. "She wanted to escape her genes as much as I do. I lost the ability to complain when I gave up my half-blood status. I can't blame her. She was _twelve_. No one makes good decisions at twelve."

"Then what is it?" Percy asked.

"It's that she did it in, like, five minutes. She finds out she's a half-blood, she hears about the Hunters, and is like 'sign me up!' without even _thinking _about it. I know you're impulsive at twelve, but... seriously? No, 'hey let me sleep on it before I make a decision that lasts forever?' "

"She did ask for Zoë's opinion."

"The most unbiased source on the planet," Nico deadpanned. They both got a little chuckle out of that. "I wish she asked me, Percy. I wish she trusted that I'd tell her to go for it if it made her happy. In a way, I'm glad she died too soon to regret it. Maybe she would've been happy as a Hunter... but I wish she realized that we were in a new century, that she could've been _anything_."

Nico stood and held his hand out to Percy. "I've done enough 'these are my feelings' talks. We need to get to Persephone, and I need my sword back. I won't cut, I promise."

Percy reluctantly handed it over. Nico put his aviator's jacket back on and zipped it all the way up to hide the gauze. They rejoined the group, who was all packed and ready to go. "Where to, boss?" Blaise asked Nico.

"You sound like Percy's horse," Nico groaned, but he was grinning all the same. "My first thought was the Palace, but I'm not in the mood for Hades to throw me into the Lethe."

"You think Macaria was serious?" Hestia asked.

Nico grimaced. "Not crazy to find out. Next best place? The groves of Persephone."

"Makes sense," Will said. "How do we get there?"

Nico pointed to the rock formation he and Percy were just sitting on. "We jump into Elysium. Literally."

If someone asked Percy how to scare him, he'd say, "After Tartarus? Can't think of anything." Well, now he'd say, "Jumping off a rock fifty feet in the air over the River of Forgetfulness hoping that no one in the most densely packed and well-guarded place in the Underworld will notice."

"I never thought going to Elysium on a quest would be a bad thing..." Will muttered.

"Who's going first?" Hestia whimpered.

Everyone turned to Nico. The look in his eyes was one of utter betrayal.

"Hey, it was your idea," Blaise said.

"If you drop me, Zabini, I will haunt you until the day you die," Nico threatened. "Okay... one, two, three!" Nico sprinted to the edge of the rock and jumped off.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Blaise shouted. The spell hit Nico halfway over the edge. His fall slowed, more controlled now, until he landed safely out of the Lethe splash zone.

"Easy!" Nico shouted up to them. "Who's next?"

_Let's get this over with. _

It was just as terrifying as he imagined it would be.

They followed Nico as he walked downriver. "This is Elysium?" Hestia asked, staring at the barren wasteland. There was nothing but rocks and the gigantic mouth of a cave.

"Go around. Far around," Nico advised.

"Are you sure we're in the right place, Neeks?" Will asked.

"Don't call me Neeks. And yes, Elysium is further down."

"Then what's the cave?"

"Um..." Nico mumbled something that sounded vaguely like, "Cave of Klingons._ " _

"The _Cave of Kronos_?!" Will hissed.

"He's not there anymore!" Nico protested. "He's been in Tartarus for millennia! Come on, guys, it's totally safe. I used to come here a lot and-" Nico looked like he was about to kick himself.

"And what?" Will pressed.

"-play Mythomagic," Nico finished with grit teeth. "After Percy gave me that figurine I bought a new deck. Sometimes people from Elysium would see and play with me, ok?!"

"And then what?" Hestia asked, trying to suppress a giggle.

"Then Kronos attacked Olympus, and I got a little busy," Nico snapped.

"I think we found your stupid twelve-year-old decision," Percy said.

"Can we- can we just walk?!"

Finally, they reached the gates of Elysium. "How do we get in?" Percy asked.

"I get us in," Nico said. "Judging by what Macaria said, Hades isn't spreading the word about what happened. Which means I still have special son-of-Hades access."

Right on cue, the gates opened. Nico held out his hand to Will. Will took it nervously. "It'll be fine," Nico assured them, then strolled in like he owned the place. Will gave Percy one, last, pleading glance.

"Come on," Percy forced himself to say. He did _not _have a good feeling about this.

Even less so when the gates shut behind him.

**_RON_**

Ron woke Hermione, Sirius, and the Granger adults minutes after he woke up himself. The two of them joined him at the kitchen table without question. He recounted his dream in as much detail as possible, watching as their faces grew darker and darker.

"You should send an owl to Dumbledore," Mr. Granger said. "If he's in contact with the gods, he'll be able to tell us where the death eaters will strike first and we can-"

"What? Stop them?" Ron asked. "Mr. Granger, most of the Order is trapped in the Ministry."

"We have to get in contact with Annabeth," Hermione said. "She's the best chance we have to defeat Angelos."

"With any luck, she'll Iris message you soon," Sirius said.

"But what about Hecate and Merlin?" Ron pressed.

"What about them?" Hermione asked.

Ron couldn't believe it. "What do you mean, 'what about them?' Didn't you listen, Hermione? We're being used!"

"Of course we're being used," Hermione said, matter-of-fact. "Merlin told me he wanted us to protect the Wizarding World from falling into chaos. In your dream, he told Hecate that we agreed to protect the Wizarding World from falling into chaos. I don't see what the problem is."

"Oh, come on, Hermione! He didn't mention the Philosopher's Stone, did he?"

"No, _Ron _, but from what he said, he clearly didn't think of it until his spy told him Hades wanted it. How could he ask me to do something he didn't know about yet?"

"So you have no problem fetching a weapon for him and hoping he doesn't use it to escalate the war?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "What's he going to do, turn stuff into gold and throw it at Hades? He said he wanted the Stone to rebuild the Wizarding World! It's not a weapon, it's a tool."

"_ We're _the tools, Hermione! Not the damn stone!"

"Yes, and so were Nico, Percy, and Annabeth when Hades sent them to kill Riddle! They're gods, humans are their tools, what matters is what they want you to do, and I have no problem being used to save the world! Do you want everyone we love to die?!"

"No, I want to stop the war _before _everyone we love dies! I get that he enchanted you in your ski lodge, but we know now he isn't such a nice bloke after all, so why should we play into his hands?"

"Stop it!" Sirius shouted. "You're both right. Hermione, Merlin is loyal to his wife first and us second. Ron's right to be wary of his motives. They clearly care about us and hate what's happening to the Wizarding World, but look at what Hecate promised him if they win. Recruiting powerful allies like Bellona doesn't strike me as the act of a man who wants to de-escalate the situation.

"And, Ron, Hermione's right too. You have to do what Merlin says. They want to keep us safe and, frankly, they're our only chance at this point. Giving them the Philosopher's Stone won't do anything except help us rebuild and heal. If he could use it as a weapon, he would've said that to Hecate. He had no reason to lie to her and didn't know you were listening in. Hopefully, by the time you've found it, our demigod allies will have stopped the war themselves. Hermione's right to trust him. Just don't trust him blindly."

"Why should we pick a side?" Ron asked.

"Because Hecate's our patron," Sirius said, "which means we've picked a side already. Even if we openly declare our neutrality, Hades and his forces will always treat us as Hecate's followers. Besides, this is the god who decided to commit genocide on our people-innocent people-because of Hecate's actions. His own son disowned him and joined Hecate's side by the end of his quest. If that doesn't tell you something, I don't know what will."

Ron bit his lip. "All right, but this war is a bad idea."

"I think we all agree there," Mrs. Granger replied. "The first priority is to make sure that Hecate and Hades don't destroy the world. From what I understand, those demigods are our best bet." She pursed her lips. "And Annabeth wants the Philosopher's Stone. And, as- as much as it pains me to say, she's not going to find it without the two of you."

"It'll be dangerous, Mum," Hermione warned her.

Mrs. Granger took her daughter's hand and smiled. "You've faced danger before. I'm proud to say I raised a hero."

Ron glanced around the table. Hermione, her parents, her aunt and uncle, Sirius. Could they really save the Wizarding World when it was so bad already?

_I have to try. _

"Let's get a bag together," Ron told Hermione. "I have the feeling Annabeth's going to I.M. us soon. We'll have to be ready to start a quest of our own."

**_NICO_**

It was somewhat surprising that they got all the way to the south end of Elysium without anything interesting happening.

"Go wander," Nico told his friends. "I'll catch up with you guys later."

"You're going in alone?" Will asked.

"I'm not bringing her Melinoe until Persephone answers my questions," Nico explained. "And I don't trust her with a son of Poseidon or followers of Hecate with the war going on. Go, pretend you're dead. Meet Shakespeare. Or Einstein. If I have my bearings right, Silena and Beckendorf's house is two blocks east from here. Have fun. I'll find you."

"If you're not back in an hour, we're breaking in," Percy told him.

"I wouldn't expect any less," Nico said.

They left. Alone, Nico walked to the south gate of Elysium. This was one of the only places left in the Underworld that he'd never been to.

"Nico di Angelo?" He turned to see a nymph in a toll booth, tapping on the glass. "I'm Herkyna, one of Persephone's attendants. She's expecting you."

Nico tried to keep himself from laughing. "Persephone needs someone to guard her forest? Who's going to steal her sacred trees?"

"You'd be surprised," Herkyna said with a sly smile. "We had a run-in with Lewis and Clark a few centuries ago. Step inside."

He passed through poplar trees and mint plants. All he could hear was the gurgling of the River Mnemosyne. The water called out to him, beckoning him closer. He looked around. He didn't see Persephone. He dropped to his knees and reached out to touch it.

The water was warm, tropical, even. It seemed to laugh each time Nico's fingers made a ripple. He laughed himself. Juvenile playfulness overtook him. He slid into the river, soaking his clothes in the warm water. He splashed the other bank, pretending that the shadows of the poplar trees were monsters to be slain. Bam! The water hit them. Bam! Another was gone.

He cupped water in his hands and splashed his face with it; it felt as good on his face as it did on his body. He did it a second time, savoring the feel of the warm water dripping down his cheeks. He caught a drop on the tip of his tongue and giggled.

"Having fun?"

Nico whipped his head around. There was Persephone, eyebrows raised. To her right sat Cerus, anxious to say hello.

"Uhhhh..." He grabbed a handful of water and threw it at the goddess. "Gotcha!"

Persephone did not look pleased. A warm breeze came, and the water on her dress dried instantly. "Come out of there, now. You, of all people, should know that the rivers of Erebos are not to be trifled with!"

"Oh come on, it's harmless!" Nico complained.

Persephone groaned. "Get. Out. Or I will turn you into a mint plant, too."

He didn't feel like being a plant for the third time, so he forced himself out of the riverbank. Embarrassment hit him like an avalanche. "Shit. Fuck. Um... crap."

"Anything else?" Persephone snapped.

"There's dammit, bullshit, dick, douchebag, I could go all day." Nico smacked himself on the forehead. "What is happening to me?"

"The river." Persephone gestured to his sopping wet clothes. Nothing but his hair was dry. "Don't worry, it will wear off. The River of Memory. It, ah, reminds you of your past in a powerful way."

"So...?"

"_ So _, it seems you were _quite _the annoying ten-year-old. Perhaps that explains your mother's incompetence. Why else would my husband constantly have to intervene?"

"What does... wait, hey!"

Persephone shooed Cerus away. He happily charged at a nearby tree and splashed across the riverbank to the opposite end of the grove. "Walk with me, Nico."

As much as he wanted to defend his mother, he needed to stay on Persephone's good side if he had any hope of finding the Artifacts. So, he swallowed his pride and joined the goddess of spring on a walk in the woods.

"Where is Melinoe?" Persephone inquired.

"With the others in Elysium," Nico replied.

"I suppose you want something in exchange for my traitorous daughter?"

Nico shot a crooked smile. "Maybe." Persephone rolled her eyes. "What did Hades do to make his own daughter-"

"She isn't."

That caught Nico by surprise. He'd never heard of Persephone having a child with anyone but Hades. "Then whose is she?"

"Zeus disguised himself, as usual. This time, as Hades. I found out about his trick when it was too late."

Nico recoiled. "Your dad dressed up like his own brother to have sex with his daughter? Ew, that's- ugh, _gross_!"

"Imagine how I feel."

Nico decided to change the subject to something less disgusting. He had a reason for coming, after all. "Why do you keep helping me?"

"In times of crisis, you must fall back on what you know. Hades' passion aside, we need trustworthy allies."

"Passion," Nico mumbled. "Hatred, you mean. And I'm not your ally. I don't want war."

Persephone sighed. "Contrary to what you half-bloods may think, most gods don't want to end the world either. I want victory, yes, but as painless as possible."

"And you don't have children of your own to do your dirty work," Nico muttered. Persephone said nothing. "Wait... you do?"

"I love my husband, as he loves me. But, when you're immortal, 'as long as we both shall live' takes on a whole new meaning. So, yes, when my anger subsides I can forgive Hades when he has a child once every century. I am not Hera. I may do the same."

"But... I've never heard of one."

"My mother claims them as hers. Our powers are similar enough. I'm sure Hades knows, but it's not as though he'd kill every child of Demeter on the off-chance it's actually mine."

"Why won't you claim them?"

Persephone stopped walking. They'd reached a small oasis filled with sparkling river water. She sat on a fallen poplar tree a few feet from the edge of the water lapping at the mossy ground. "Most gods can kill their stepchild. Hades can do far worse."

That was enough to distract Nico from the Mnemosyne's sparkling shore. "You think he'd throw your children in the Fields of Punishment?"

"No," Persephone said, "but all it would take is one fit of passion. And we both know Hades is prone to passion." She looked up at Nico, her eyes far softer than he'd expected. "And that is why I can't give you what you seek, Nico. The Artifacts must stay hidden. In the wrong hands, they could destroy the world."

"I'm not the wrong hands," Nico pressed. "I united them before. I can do it again."

Persephone shook her head. "And that's why you should know better. They change people. You felt the effect of their power. They whisper dark thoughts in your ear; eventually, you become addicted. And the more powerful you are, the easier it is to slip away. Under their influence, Thanatos was so power-hungry that he tried to depose Hades himself."

"You make them sound like the ring from _the Lord of the Rings. _"

Persephone smiled mischievously. "Tolkien was always one of Thanatos's favorite sons."

Nico thought about his conversation with Annabeth five days ago. He'd said the same thing-the Artifacts turned him into Lord Voldemort. He'd had them such a short time, too.

"But, how else can we keep Athena and Mars from taking sides?" Nico asked. "Once they're involved, the world's done for."

"I know. I remember the last time Athena and Ares fought. You know it as the Great War. I remember when Hades took a side. I saw the extent of his wrath, and it drove me away. I will never let my lord do that again."

"That's why there were so many children of Hades by World War Two. You left him."

"He has a blind spot for those he cares about. His children worship him like all demigods worship their parent. His love is blind, and that blindness leads to terrible mistakes. When I saw the things Hades pretended not to, I begged him to kill those responsible and be done with it. He refused. And I am not as unquestionably loyal as his children are."

Nico got the feeling he knew precisely which child of Hades Persephone was talking about. There was no way for her to understand how-important-that topic had become to him, how her concern echoed his own fears, but even if she didn't intend to play on his emotions, it was, unfortunately, a good argument. If he could ignore something so horrible when it was convenient, what would he do with a superweapon? What wouldn't he do? If even Persephone was unsure...

_Maybe Hecate has a point after all. _

"He won't get to them. I won't let him," Nico vowed.

"No one can make that promise. No one knows but the Fates." Persephone's eyes were on her wedding ring, glistening like the Mnemosyne in the fake Underworld sunlight. "He regrets what he did, I know that. I couldn't hold it against him any longer. Perhaps that makes me weak, but I love him. And I don't want to be proven wrong."

"Do you want Melinoe or not?" Nico pushed. "Tell me _something_."

"You will treat me with respect. I am Queen of the Underworld, Nico di Angelo, never forget that," Persephone threatened. Her eyes were dark and stormy, even more so than when she attacked Annabeth and Thalia in the Hades cabin. "And I won't let you put my husband in jeopardy."

The vines of a poplar tree grabbed Nico from behind and pulled him towards the oasis. "Persephone!" Nico shouted. "Stop it! Why are you doing this?"

"I know the prophecy, Nico," Persephone said. "I hoped you wouldn't be the one destined to find them this time, but it's clear to me now. Don't worry, Herkyna will care for you until the war is over. You'll return to your family on January 1st, safe and sound. Thank you for being my champion."

Herkyna ran over the hill. "The gates of Elysium are closed, my queen. No one can get in or out."

"Take good care of him. Protect him with your life, if necessary," Persephone ordered. "He is a hero for the ages and has done me a great service."

Herkyna bowed. "Yes, my queen."

"Persephone, please!" Nico begged. His feet were dangerously close to the shoreline.

"Thank you for bringing my daughter to me, Nico. Cerus!" she called into the empty woods. "We're going to Elysium!"

Cerus bounced out of the woods. He gave Nico one last lick, then ran north to the gates of Elysium.

"I'll see you soon, Nico," Persephone said. The warmth behind her eyes was gone. It was the same casual indifference she'd had since the day he met her. "Forgive me."

His foot slipped, and the poplar tree dragged him into the Mnemosyne. His head submerged, and the sound of Bianca's squeals and Mamma's singing drowned out any final words Persephone may have had for him.

_Fa la ninna, fa la nanna_ **[Go to sleep, go to sleepy]**  
_Nella braccia della mamma _**[In the arms of your mother]**  
_Fa la ninna bel bambin, _**[Go to sleep, lovely child,]**  
_Fa la nanna bambin bel, _**[Go to sleepy, child so lovely]**  
_Fa la ninna, fa la nanna _**[Go to sleep, go to sleepy]**  
_Nella braccia della mamma. _**[In the arms of your mother]**

**END NOTES**

SOURCES:  
Theoi /NymphHerkyna

This week's beta commentary:  
STORY: The vines of a poplar tree grabbed Nico from behind and pulled him towards the oasis. "Persephone!" Nico shouted. "Stop it! Why are you doing this?"  
LISSY: Oh, come on Nico, you know why. How many damn times have you been kidnapped? Thorn, Minos, that Labyrinth farm, Persephone (#swordofhades), that time Hades sent you to your room, the bronze jar, Triptolemus, Alabaster, Hecate, Alastor, Ceres, do I need to go on? At this point, I think Princess Peach, Lois Lane, and Jordi LaForge are saving you a spot at the annual damsel in distress reunion.

STORY: [Title]  
LISSY: I need title ideas. The one I have isn't funny at all.  
OLI: the first thing that popped into my head is that old song "buhbuhbuhbuhbuhbuuuuuuuh honey honey"  
LISSY: Hahaha

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)  
Oli - Beta Reader (Tumblr paradoxicalpsychic)  
Suhalia - Beta Reader (Archive Of Our Own users/milkandtahoney/)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!

**COMMENTS**

**ShadeFireDragon**

_"The bull laid down", not "the bull lied down". At least I think so. _

_And no, I totally didn't skip some chapters. No, not at all. Nope! _ Okay, yes I did. _  
_Thanks for the rapid fire updates!_

Oh well, I do run these through a grammar checker but as long as it reads ok I don't mind a mistake here or there. And it's fine, I get skipping chapters, I knew that would happen, but I just need to get this story posted for the reasons I explained a few days ago.

_Oh my gods, Mussolini XD Oh my flipping tables gods. Well then. That just happened_

Yes, yes it did ;)

_Bianca was gonna be a vet? Nuu, poor Bianca_

I know :((((


	26. And the Darwin Award Goes To

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

Annabeth, Ron, and Hermione plan to defend against Angelos. Cho and Genevieve meet up with Annabeth. Nico is rescued.

**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: General Audiences  
Content Warning: Cursing  
Word Count: 4404

For anyone who doesn't know, the Darwin Award is an internet meme. People win the Darwin Award when they hurt themselves in such a stupid way that it's basically natural selection at work. Think people who take a selfie on a tiny ledge on a skyscraper or stick their head in a car's exhaust pipe to see if it fits. And yes, those are both things that someone actually did.

The Italian translations will be in the end notes since it isn't from Nico's perspective, thus the narrator doesn't know what he's saying.

And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_THALIA_**

Thalia knew how well the cohorts could fight. She'd heard stories from Jason of all the times they'd pulled victory from the toughest of odds. But even the Romans had their limits, and, after two days locked in battle outside D.O.A. Recording Studios, the legion was getting tired. Frank, Reyna, and Alabaster were running out of ideas. And they were running out of supplies.

She, Alabaster, and Lou had set up base in what used to be Crusty's Waterbed Palace, empty after Percy, Annabeth, and Grover sent him to Tartarus seven years ago. For a place abandoned for almost a decade, it wasn't that bad. Frank and Reyna were with their soldiers on the battlefield, trying to keep morale up.

"There has to be something we can do," Alabaster muttered, pacing back and forth.

"We're fighting two armies, Al," Lou said. "They're gods. We aren't. Of course it's going to be hard."

"We could contact some neutral gods for help?" Thalia offered. "Apollo, maybe?"

"Okay," Lou said slowly, "but how could we-"

She never got to finish her sentence. Alabaster suddenly gasped and collapsed on the floor, clutching his throat. Lou screamed and ran to her brother's side. "Alabaster?! Alabaster!" He coughed violently, gasping for breath. His face was red, and his eyes bugged out. "He's choking!" Lou screamed.

Thalia grabbed him and forced him to stand. She hit him on the back, hard. Alabaster coughed, and water poured from his mouth. Lou started to chant, and more water came pouring out. Alabaster vomited, sputtered, and heaved. At last, he caught his breath and collapsed on the nearest waterbed.

"What on Earth was that?!" Lou cried.

"Drowning," Alabaster managed between coughs. "I was... drowning."

"What? How?"

"N... Nico." Alabaster coughed again. "Nico's underwater."

Lou's eyes widened. "Al, for the gods' sakes, tell me you severed the connection."

Alabaster forced himself to sit up, panting. "I... never got around to it."

Lou went from shocked to nervous to concerned to furious in a fraction of a second. "You are- for the love of- Alabaster! Psychic links aren't empathy links! You're not supposed to keep them for more than a day! Two months was pushing it-you're telling me it's been _a_ _year-and-a-half?!_For- for one of the most powerful children of Hecate to ever live, you are the most _reckless, irresponsible_...!" She hit the foot of the nearest waterbed and made an audible noise of disgust. "Al... what did Mom actually ask you to do last September?"

"Train a son of Hades and make sure all the horcruxes were left intact."

Lou rubbed her temples like she was starving off a migraine. "Did she mean _in person_?"

Alabaster hesitated. "Um... possibly?"

"Then why-"

"He was a son of Hades! I wanted to mess with him, like 'ooo a boy has come from the future to help you, Nico...' Ravenclaw owed me a favor. I couldn't resist." Lou shot him the most disgusted glare Thalia had ever seen. "Hey, I assumed he was an asshole like his dad! Let me live a little, won't you?!"

Thalia caught Lou's eye. "Can I?"

"Go ahead."

Thalia punched Alabaster in the face. He fell back into the waterbed; little waves rippled from his body. "Okay. I deserved that."

"You," Lou growled, "are the reason that natural selection exists."

Alabaster sat up and pressed two fingers to his bleeding cheek. The skin glowed, then repaired itself. "Something's happened to Nico. We have to rescue him."

"What about Percy and the others?" Lou asked.

Alabaster shook his head. "He's alone, I can feel it. Something's happened to his mind... he's... I don't know, but no one can find him but me. I'm sure of that. Besides, if he dies, I'll die too. I don't want to leave this up in the air."

"What about the battle?" Lou asked.

"Frank and Reyna will figure it out," Thalia said. "If Nico's in trouble, we've got to find him. It's not like we're doing much here, anyway, sitting and waiting for news."

"Fine," Lou conceded.

Alabaster stood. "Take my hand. I'll apparate us. Let's go."

**_ANNABETH_**

Annabeth practically kissed the ground when she landed in Heathrow airport. She finally understood how Alabaster felt on the airplane to New York-every bit of turbulence put her on edge. What if Zeus knocked her out of the air as a warning to Athena? What if he decided to threaten Nico's friend again?

She took the subway to London proper. It wasn't hard to find a motel once she reached the city. Some water and the right angle with a handheld mirror created the perfect rainbow.

"We have to stop Angelos before she makes everything worse," Ron said. "Things are bad enough without death eaters. It would cause a panic now that the public knows Riddle came back last year. They might think Nico didn't kill him after all."

"She would attack at a strategic point," Annabeth reasoned. "Where would Hades have the greatest advantage, now that the Ministry's fallen?"

"What about Hogwarts?" Hermione asked. "Hecate might want to use it as a fortress. If Dad captured it, she'd have nowhere to hide."

"But it's too well protected," Annabeth said. "Merlin and the Founders are powerful gods. It would take more magic than Hades has to break its defenses. He would need a way to breach its walls first."

"I thought he was an Elder God?" Hermione asked.

"But not a magic user," Annabeth explained. "He's incredibly powerful, but overcoming five gods who all specialize in magic is impossible, even for a son of Kronos. He'd need another way in. Hecate destroyed the thestrals, and, with all the riots, I suspect there's been looting, which eliminates brooms. And you can't apparate into Hogwarts."

"What about the Floo Network?" Ron asked.

Annabeth shook her head. "Floo Powder's a weaker version of Hecate's 'flaming kiss of death,' the spell that weakened Persephone enough to kill her. Dad wouldn't touch the stuff."

"So, what else is there?" Annabeth pressed.

"The Hogwarts Express," Hermione realized. "It's the only way to get a large population into Hogwarts now that thestrals are gone."

Annabeth's mind whizzed at a hundred miles an hour. "You're right, Hermione. He could isolate Hogsmeade that way. Merlin couldn't organize enough followers to defend it with Hecate's lands in chaos, and most of the students and teachers are on Christmas break. Hades would capture it virtually unopposed. We have to get to King's Cross Station, now."

"But how can we defend against her troops without an army?" Hermione asked.

"Don't worry," Annabeth assured them, "help's already on its way. I'll see you guys at King's Cross."

"We're on our way," Ron said and waved the image away.

**_THALIA_**

Thalia, Alabaster, and Lou reappeared under a huge, golden arch, ten times bigger than the Doors of Death. Thick, black fog obscured what was on the other side. In front of her, there was nothing but black and gray rocks.

"This is the Underworld?" Thalia asked.

Alabaster nodded. "It must be. I couldn't get us inside-no magic's powerful enough to do that-so I used Mom's entrance." He gestured to the golden arch. "The Gate of Dawn. I think."

Thalia wasn't exactly reassured. "Okay. Where's Nico?"

Alabaster took some acorns out of his pocket and whispered an incantation. The acorns rearranged themselves in the palm of his hand. He studied them for a second, then closed his fingers around them and put them away. "We need to travel southwest. There's someone standing guard, so we'll know when we're there."

They followed Alabaster, stopping every so often for him to redo the tracking spell and assure them that they were on the right path. It wasn't long until they hit a gurgling river. Its sapphire blue water called out to Thalia, but she knew better than to touch it. They walked until they found a narrow bend in the river and jumped over it. It was even more terrifying than flying.

The Underworld was much nicer on the other side. They were surrounded by a beautiful forest that smelled like mint, with warm sunlight shining down on them. "Is this Elysium?" Lou asked, her voice filled with wonder.

No one answered. They had no idea-they weren't Nico.

They weaved through the trees until they came across a small oasis. "There," Thalia whispered. A nymph sat on a fallen tree, humming to herself. She was definitely guarding something.

Alabaster's eyes darkened. "Nymph. Proserpine did this." His fist tightened. He stared at the nymph with absolute hate in his eyes. Thalia got goosebumps. _This _was the person she imagined the first time she heard Alabaster's name. _This _was the evil son of Hecate who kidnapped Nico for his mother and led his siblings in Kronos's army. The crafty son of Hecate looked downright murderous.

"Al, there's no way to know that," Lou said gently. "Nico will tell us."

The cloud passed, and Alabaster was the same as he always had been. But Thalia was wary now. She knew, as long as she lived, she'd never look at him the same way again.

"You want to take it?" Alabaster offered.

Lou nodded with a cunning smile. She whispered an incantation. The nymph stood and, hypnotized, wandered away from the oasis.

"Nice," Thalia said. They made their way into the clearing. "He must be in the water. That's why you were drowning."

Alabaster nodded. "Question is, how do we get him out?"

That was a problem. None of them could touch the river without gods-know-what happening to them. "The water's clear," Thalia reasoned. "Maybe we'll be able to see him." They inspected the river, but, even though its water was clear and sparkling, Nico was nowhere to be seen.

"Proserpine's concealing him somehow," Alabaster growled. His voice gave Thalia goosebumps again.

"Maybe we should try to find Percy?" Lou suggested. "He'd be able to control the river."

"Search the entire Underworld?" Thalia questioned. "If by some miracle we found him, Nico's captor would be back. With the nymph gone, they'd know something was up." Thalia stared blankly at the river. The water was so blue... it seemed to call out to her...

"Snap out of it!" Lou punched him in the arm.

Thalia grimaced. "Ow... thanks, Lou."

"No problem," she said with a cheeky grin.

"Use magic," Thalia said. "Split the river."

"We can't," Lou said. "That takes powerful magic, enough that Hades will sense us. As soon as we get Nico out, we'll be captured again, and probably killed."

"Thalia, can you use your wind powers to blast the water out of the bank?" Alabaster asked.

"Yeah, but we'd get sprayed with the water."

Lou was pacing now. Alabaster threw a rock between his hands. Thalia kept her eyes off the river while she brainstormed. She didn't want to get entranced again.

"Did anyone bring floaties?" Lou tried. "Or an inner tube?"

"This is hopeless!" Alabaster shouted and threw the rock into the forest. "We could enchant that stupid nymph to-"

"Nymph!" Lou cried. "Al, that's it! We're in a forest. One of these tree nymphs could tell us what happened. If we know how Nico got in, we can get him out."

"I can help with that," a timid, female voice said. Thalia turned. A beautiful nymph was hiding behind a thick tree trunk, watching them. She smiled nervously, then came out of the clearing. "Are you here for the son of Hades?"

"You know Nico?" Thalia asked.

"He's in the water," the nymph said. "Persephone put him there." She blushed. "I couldn't hear it all, but she said to keep him safe; he was a hero for the ages." She smiled. "There are so few sons of Hades. I've seen that one a lot. He's always so conflicted, like his father. I've never had the courage to talk to him before."

"Who are you?" Lou asked. "How do you know Hades?"

The nymph smiled. Her eyes glistened with nostalgia. "My name is Leuke. Hades and I were in love. It was so long ago, he wasn't married yet. I lived with him in the Underworld. But, I was mortal. When I died, he turned me into the poplar tree so I could live forever." She smiled sadly. "I miss him. I want to help his son. He must love him a lot to let him spend so much time in the Underworld."

Thalia thought it was best not to mention that they were estranged now. "How do we save him if we can't touch the water?"

"I can get him," Leuke said. "Tell Hades that I helped his son. Promise me?"

"Of course," Thalia lied.

One of the poplar trees' branches extended into the river, and out came Nico, cradled like a baby in its arms. Leuke guided him to the ground, humming a sweet tune. It sounded like wind whistling through the trees; sad and lonely, but hopeful too. Nico opened his eyes. Leuke smiled at him. "Hello, little one," she said.

"_ Sei qui per giocare con me? _" Nico asked. He sounded innocent, like a child.

She smiled at him and hummed again. She gingerly laid Nico on the mossy ground. "Sit up slowly."

Nico shivered a little. "_ Non mi sento bene. Voglio andare a casa. _" His lip started to wiggle. Leuke brushed wet strands of hair off of his forehead. " _Dov'è Papà? _"

"Nico?" Thalia asked gently. "How do you feel?"

Nico turned at the sound of his name. He looked at Thalia, puzzled. "_ Non capisco. Voglio andare a casa. _"

"I'll dry him," Thalia offered. Wind enveloped Nico, blowing the water from his body, clothes, and hair. She was careful to surround him with the winds completely so the water wouldn't spray on any of them.

Leuke helped him sit up. Nico looked around. "What is this? Where am I?" He studied Thalia's face with confusion in his eyes. "Where's Bianca?"

"Nico..." Thalia whispered. "Bianca's dead, remember?"

Thalia expected him to start crying, but the reaction he got was much worse. He paused for a moment, processing what he'd heard, then said, "Okay," like he'd been told a baseball score. "What about Hazel?"

"In New York."

"Percy?"

"Around here somewhere."

"Thalia?"

Thalia realized he was just listing names that popped into his head. He didn't have any idea who these people were. "I'm Thalia."

Nico rubbed his eyes. "_ La casa stava tremando. Faceva caldo, molto caldo. Papà mi ha salvato. Poi eravamo in questo hotel e me ne sono dimenticato. Poi un castello, mi hanno urlato, ma Bianca mi ha tenuto al sicuro. Ora è morta. E io sono... io sono... _" He stopped to take a breath. "The Underworld. I'm in the Underworld." His accent was far more pronounced than usual.

"Persephone did this..." Alabaster whispered to himself.

"_ Percy è in pericolo. _" This time, Nico caught himself. "I mean, Percy's in danger. They all are. Persephone's coming for them."

"We can't stay here," Lou said. "Hades will kill Al and me, and there's a battle-"

"I'm with you, Nico," Alabaster said immediately.

Even Nico flinched at the look in his friend's eyes. "Al, what happened?"

Alabaster grabbed Nico's hand and helped him up. "Let's go."

"Hey, thanks-" Thalia looked around for Leuke, but she was nowhere to be found. He turned to Lou. She nudged her head towards Alabaster. Her eyes were dark, too.

**_PERCY_**

"Will?" Hestia said. "I am officially never following you again."

Will pointed to a nearby skyscraper. "I think Silena and Beckendorf's is that way."

"Two blocks," Hestia huffed. "Nico said two blocks. We've walked more than two blocks."

"Oh, come on, Hestia, let's-"

"I'm officially booting you out of the G.P.S. job. All in favor?"

"I!" Blaise and Percy shouted in unison.

Will stared at Percy with his puppy dog eyes, so annoying and yet so incredibly effective. "It's nothing against you," Percy said, "but it's been an hour, and we're lost."

"All we had to do was go in a straight line!" Hestia cried. "How could you get lost going in a straight line for two blocks?"

"I'm sorry I'm not a son of Hermes," Will muttered, but he also did the smart thing and stopped walking.

They were standing in the center of a town square, one you'd find in old Westerns, where cowboys would duel at high noon. A saloon had set up residence in the square. People from every period of history sat around tables, sipping drinks, talking, and laughing. Some wore Greek tunics or Roman togas, others were dressed like the cast of Romeo and Juliet (not that he knew much else, he fell asleep before Act One was over when they showed it in English). People in afros and bell-bottom jeans chat with Africans in tribal dress and war paint. It was a mind-trip, but that was Elysium.

"You kids want some food?" called a Native American in animal skins from behind the counter.

"Uh... not right now!" Will replied. One bite of Underworld food and you were stuck there forever.

"Sure. What's with the blankets?"

They shifted uncomfortably. Blaise carried Melinoe, wrapped carefully under one of their sleeping bags, so she looked like a pile of comforters. "We were, um, camping," Blaise said.

The Native American laughed. "When I was alive, every day was camping."

Before anyone could ask any more questions about the woman-sized blankets, Nico ran into the square, accompanied by a breathless Alabaster, Lou, and Thalia. "We gotta go," Thalia said without explanation.

"But- how are you here?" Percy wondered. Instead of answering, Thalia grabbed his arm and pulled him to the other side of the square. Percy decided not to question her further. A half-blood running like that was usually a bad sign.

"This way!" Nico shouted, directing them through cobblestone roads and wild west houses.

"Why are we running?" Percy asked.

"Persephone!"

"What?"

"Not now!"

Then, something weird started to happen. The sun, once pleasantly warm, turned hot and blindingly bright. Percy squinted. He could barely see Nico with his eyes so narrowed, but any wider hurt too much. He started to sweat. As much as he liked the old west aesthetic, the heat of the desert ruined it.

"_Pensi che mi fermerà?!_" Nico shouted at nothing. "The shadows will direct us! Left!"

_His accent is way stronger than normal. What happened to him after we split up? _

They zig-zagged through the city until the cobblestone turned into slate. The blinding light faded enough that they could open their eyes again. Where was Nico taking them? And what was going on?

Instead of the old west, ancient Chinese buildings crowded the street. And, instead of a blinding sun, the sky was dark and stormy. A harsh wind blew through the city, powerful enough that it ripped trees from their roots. Percy cursed. He got that feeling that it was monsoon season.

Nico jumped through the window of a mansion, shouting "Sorry!" when he knocked the house owner over. "Was that Confucius?!" Will cried.

"Probably!" Nico yelled over the winds. "We're almost there!"

"Almost where?!" Hestia shouted.

They sprinted through fifteen different rooms, ran out the back door, followed Nico through a hedge maze until they reached the other side, then continued another hundred yards through a bonsai tree display, all while the roaring winds tore roofs from houses.

"Here!" Nico shouted, and dived headfirst between a tree with two trunks. The rest of them followed, one by one, until they landed in a pitch-black cavern.

"Lumos," Blaise and Hestia whispered at the same time. Alabaster summoned the same ball of light in his hand. Lou opened her palm, and greek fire danced around her fingertips. Between the four of them, they could see quite clearly. The cavern was dark, damp, and earthy. It looked similar to... wait...

"Are we in the Labyrinth?" Percy asked.

"The Labyrinth doesn't exist anymore," Nico reminded him.

"I know, but it looks exactly the same."

Lou lowered her Greek Fire to a spot on the wall. "Percy's right. Look." Δ was etched into the dirt.

"It's not the Labyrinth," Nico insisted. "Daedalus still does that as a joke. It's his calling card. Look hard enough, and you'll see it all over Asphestol and the Lines of Judgement. He builds for the Underworld now, that was his punishment for cheating death."

"But, what is it?" Thalia asked.

"Access line for Underworld servants. Hades discontinued its use because he didn't trust it. Too much like the Labyrinth."

"How'd you find it?" Will asked.

"I like to explore," Nico said. Rather suddenly, he grabbed Will's hand and kissed him. "Hi," he said. With as little warning, Nico dove and wrapped Percy in a hug. "Hi," he said again.

"Uh... Nico?" Percy asked. "Are you okay?"

"He lost his memory," Thalia explained. "Persephone-"

"She captured him," Alabaster growled. "She captured him and threw him in the River Mnemosyne."

"I'm better now," Nico promised. He released Percy, then grabbed Hestia. She patted him on the head as he hugged her. Percy met her eyes-she looked just as worried as he felt.

"I'd join too, but my hands are full," Blaise half-joked, adjusting Melinoe in his arms. "Speaking of, what are we going to do with her now?"

"Leave her here," Nico said. He released Hestia, then raised his hands to the opening above them. A jagged, black boulder grew over them. "Persephone won't know where to find this now. We'll come back for her when we need a bargaining chip. She doesn't get her daughter until we find out where the Artifacts are. Now, let's get going."

Blaise set her down. Alabaster took a few steps forward, then froze. His face went pale. "Why are there demon paths?"

Percy glanced over Alabaster's shoulder. A moving walkway chugged along, stretching into infinity.

"He tripped on one at LaGuardia," Blaise said with a smirk.

"Airplanes are death machines and airports are designed to kill you," Alabaster insisted.

"Would you rather I steal Charon's gondola and ferry us away from Persephone?" Nico asked dryly.

"No rivers!"

"You sure? Because I'm Venetian. Gondolas are in my D.N.A.."

Alabaster took a deep breath and stepped onto the moving walkway. "Please keep your hands inside the moving walkway. Walk slowly. Daedalus is not responsible for injuries," a cool female voice said. Alabaster jumped, and fell onto the conveyor belt, scraping up his calf.

"The big bad son of Hecate, everybody," Lou laughed. The rest of them joined the grunting Alabaster on the belt, drifting away from Melinoe and into the endless darkness.

**_CHO_**

After a dreamless sleep, Genevieve shook Cho awake. She pushed herself up. Her body ached after spending the night sleeping on dirt. "I thought grass was supposed to be soft," she murmured.

"I had a dream," Genevieve said. "Annabeth Chase is on her way to King's Cross Station." She threw a chocolate chip muffin at Cho. "Eat, but be quick. We have to go."

"Where did you get that?" Cho mumbled. She was still half asleep.

In response, Genevieve pointed to a dot on the horizon. "Small town's over there. We aren't far from London. They have a train station, and there's a direct line to King's leaving in an hour. So, like I said, be quick. We have to go."

Cho wiped the tiredness from her eyes and adjusted her clothes. She ran a hand through her choppy hair, brushing out any knots. Then, she unwrapped the muffin. "I'm ready. I'll eat and walk."

Genevieve didn't say a word until they were aboard the train. She seemed lost in her own thoughts. There was something wrong, Cho could tell. "Is everything okay?"

"No," Genevieve replied with a quivering voice. "I dreamed-my fiancé-she's dead. There was a riot after the Minister died, and she was still in town, waiting for me..."

Tears fell down Genevieve's cheeks. Cho put her arm around her shoulders and side-hugged her. Despite herself, that nasty little voice in her head returned.

_You knew this would happen the day you met her. Now she's broken, like you were. Useless. Time's got her trapped now. You're free. This isn't your problem anymore. _

"No," Cho said under her breath, replying to the voice. "Look at me," she told her friend. "It's okay to be upset."

"She was in Diagon Alley for me," Genevieve whispered. "I was the one who wanted to get married there..."

"This isn't your fault," Cho told her. "We're going to fight for her now, and make her death matter. Don't give up."

Genevieve hiccuped. "The truth is, I was getting cold feet. I was scared, caring about someone so much... now, I'm paying for it."

"Being vulnerable is okay. Even when it hurts... it's worth it. I think about Harry and Cedric and Marietta all the time. But I wouldn't give them up for the world. They made me who I am today." The train stopped at King's. Cho stood, and offered Genevieve her hand. "Let's find Annabeth."

"No need," Genevieve said. "Your friend is there." Cho stepped off the platform and, sure enough, Annabeth was in the grand hall, seemingly waiting for her. Rather unusually, the station was empty except for the three of them.

"Let's get going, then," Cho said.

Genevieve shook her head. "My journey ends here, Cho Chang."

Cho knit her eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"

"You've passed every test. You're ready now."

"Test? Genevieve, I don't understand!"

She only smiled and put her hand on Cho's shoulder. "I came to protect you, follower of Hecate, but you need no protection anymore. Remember what you've learned, and the Fates will guide you to your fortune."

"What-"

"Shut your eyes and look away," Genevieve said. Cho hesitated. What did she mean?

_She mentioned tests. What if this is a test? _

So, Cho looked away. She felt raw energy so powerful that she blacked out. When she woke, Annabeth stood over her, shaking her awake. "Cho?! What are you doing here?! Who was that?!"

"I came to find you," Cho croaked. "And that was my friend, Genevieve. She's a witch, but..."

Annabeth shook her head. Her gray eyes were stormy. "That was no witch. I felt her power too. She revealed her true form."

"True form?" Cho asked. "You mean... she was a god?"

"Not just a god," Annabeth said. "Cho, that was an Olympian."

**END NOTES**

So, Teddy Lupin is finally explained. That was my original intent, but I never found a place to put it in "the Coming of Nico di Angelo." Alabaster basically had his backstory confiscated and not returned in the first one. Which was sad, because I really like this character, in this fic and in the canon "Son of Magic."

TRANSLATIONS:  
Sei qui per giocare con me? [Are you here to play with me?]  
Non mi sento bene. Voglio andare a casa... Dov'è Papà? [I don't feel good. I want to go home. Where's Papà?]  
Non capisco. Voglio andare a casa." [I don't understand. I want to go home.]  
La casa stava tremando. Faceva caldo, molto caldo. Papà mi ha salvato. Poi eravamo in questo hotel e me ne sono dimenticato. Poi un castello, mi hanno urlato, ma Bianca mi ha tenuto al sicuro. Ora è morta. E io sono... io sono... [The house was shaking. It was hot, very hot. Daddy saved me. Then we were at this hotel and I forgot about it. Then a castle, they screamed at me, but Bianca kept me safe. Now she's dead. And I'm... I'm...]  
Pensi che mi fermerà?! [Do you think that will stop me?!]

SOURCES:  
Theoi /NympheLeuke  
Wikipedia /Leuce_(mythology)

This week's beta commentary:  
STORY: the old west aesthetic  
OLI: just found out there's a genre of western films called Spaghetti Westerns cuz they were directed/produced by Italians  
LISSY: WHAT THAT IS THE BEST NAME EVER

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)  
Oli - Beta Reader (Tumblr paradoxicalpsychic)  
Suhalia - Beta Reader (Archive Of Our Own users/milkandtahoney/)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!


	27. Nico Tried to Kill Me Wit a Hammer

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

The Underworld crew journeys to the Gates of Dusk. Death Eaters attack King's Cross. Alabaster opens up about his past.  


**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: Teen and Up Audiences  
Content Warning: Cursing, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Rape (mentioned only)  
Word Count: 4841

Both my betas are off this month due to finals, so these next two chapters won't be beta read. I'm sorry if there's a downgrade in quality, but I hope I did okay.

And all the characters are owned by J.K. Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_PERCY_**

After an hour on Daedalus's moving walkway, Percy understood why Hades would forbid his servants from using it. He felt like he was fourteen again, wandering through the Labyrinth. Even though nothing had attacked them, the dark tunnel made him claustrophobic. He could tell all his friends, minus Nico, felt the same way.

"How much further, Nico?" Thalia asked.

"Not positive," he admitted. "I'm not taking us anywhere specific, but I want to find a door as far from Elysium as possible."

"So what you're saying is, we're lost."

"I refuse to answer that question on basic principle."

They reached a dead end. "You were saying?" Thalia muttered.

Nico glared at him. He found a small, glowing Δ on the wall in front of him, and pressed it. The Δ sunk into the wall; a keypad appeared in its place. He punched a code into the keypad, and the wall slid open. "_ You _were saying?" Nico shot back to Thalia.

"Passwords and everything," Blaise mused. "Fancy."

Nico bit his lip to keep from smiling. "He runs a professional business." He got seven blank stares all at once. "Hercules T.V. show? The episode where Medusa gets a job in the Underworld?" Nico rolled his eyes. "Blaise and Hestia get a pass, but the rest of you? How have _half-bloods _not watched this?"

"I didn't even know there _was _a T.V. show," Percy told him.

Nico shook his head in mock-sadness. "A million times better than the movie."

Lou cracked a smile. "Does Hades know about that movie? Do you think he'd be insulted he's villain instead of Hera?"

"Yeah, but James Woods was, hands down, the best thing about that clusterfuck," Thalia argued.

"Someone has to show it to him," Will declared. "Neeks, when he captures you, promise me you'll show it to him."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Nico mumbled.

"You've been captured so many times that I'm pretty sure Princess Peach, Lois Lane, and Robin the Boy Wonder are saving you a seat in their dungeon," Will teased.

Nico put one hand to his heart, the other to his forehead, and gasped like a Southern belle. "You _wound _me, sir!"

"The Mnemosyne really did wipe your memory. You're a cross between the 1930's and a ten-year-old."

"Excuse you, William. I'm fine."

"Maybe don't say that while you still sound like Mario."

Nico pushed Will to the ground, but Will, with lightning reflexes, grabbed Nico's hand. They both landed on their butts, laughing hysterically.

"Wait," Percy said, suppressing his laughter. "You know who he sounds like?" A giggle escaped Percy's lips. "Ezio Auditore da Firenze from _Assassin's Creed Two. _"

Everyone was roaring now. They remembered Nico making fun of the Italian accents when he tested the games at the holiday party. Nico dived at Percy's feet, and he fell to the ground, too. "I am Nico di Angelo da _Venezia._ The day I sound like a _terroni _is the day I die."

"When did you get so violent?" Hestia teased.

"Bianca and I did this all the time," Nico said as he laughed. "She dislocated my shoulder once."

"She what?!" Hestia gasped.

"That sounds nothing like her!" Percy cried.

"It was an accident," Nico said as though it was nothing. "It's not like I didn't do it too." He started giggling. "Once she spilled red cough syrup on my bedspread and gave me a big hug, so I tried to kill her with a hammer."

Percy's sides hurt with how hard he was laughing. He wanted the moment to last forever, but, of course, reality had to return. A stone the size of Percy's head came down the access ramp in front of them, heading straight for Alabaster. He jumped out of the way with a very un-Alabaster-like squeal. Percy guessed the "demon walkway" took a lot out of him.

"Let's see what we're up against now," Percy sighed, uncapping his sword. Thalia and Nico raised their weapons. Will retrieved his bow from the duffel bag. Blaise and Hestia drew their wands.

The eight of them inched up the ramp. The door slammed shut behind them. They reached the surface. Percy recognized his surroundings. He gulped. "Nico, please tell me we aren't in the middle of the Fields of Punishment?"

"I would, but that would be a lie."

"Guys!" Alabaster pointed straight ahead of them. "Mom's Gates of Dusk is nearby, I can sense it. Thalia, Lou, and I have to get back to San Francisco."

"And it's about time we returned to the surface," Hestia said. "Persephone won't help us, and the Artifacts obviously aren't here."

"Any objections?" Will asked. No one said anything. "That's settled, then."

Nico and Alabaster led the way. Percy tried not to look at anything, but he couldn't block out the anguished screams and mad ramblings of the damned. He knew everyone here were horrible people, but he still felt a pang of sympathy. Eternal torment was the harshest punishment a mortal could receive.

They came to a jungle, stretched in both directions for as far as the eye could see. "We'll have to go through," Nico decided.

"Is that such a good idea?" Blaise asked.

"No, but we've got no choice. It'll be fine."

"That's what you said about Persephone."

Nico took a tentative step into the jungle. Percy and the others reluctantly followed.

It was dark, even by Underworld standards. One moment silent, then a terrifying noise would come from every direction, so it was impossible to pinpoint its source. All light was soaked up by the shadows.

All of them were wary, but none more than Alabaster. He jumped at every noise, his eyes darted around, he kept that ball of light in his hand despite how futile it was. "Are you afraid of the dark?" Lou asked him gently.

"I- I have a bad feeling about this. I think I know whose punishment this is."

As if on cue, Hestia screamed. A ghostly hand covered her mouth, muffling her voice as it dragged her away. "Hestia!" Blaise and Nico shouted in unison. They sprinted towards her with everyone else on their heels. Even in the pitch black, Nico knew the path perfectly. He dove into the darkness and grabbed something. "I got you, Hes," he panted.

A cold, malicious laugh echoed through the forest. A pale figure stepped into Percy's vision. "So we meet again, son of Hades... son of magic..." Riddle said.

**_ANNABETH_**

"How could Genevieve be an Olympian?" Cho was shaken to the core. Annabeth couldn't blame her; she knew gods often tested mortals, but she'd yet to see such a thing outside of the old myths. Plus, there, they identified themselves at the end of the test to reward or punish the mortal in question. But Cho had no consequences, and no answers either.

"I don't know," Annabeth admitted. "It's uncommon, but not unheard of."

"But... why?"

"I don't know that either. But there's no time to talk right now. The goddess of dark magic, Angelos, is about to attack King's Cross with the last of the Death Eaters. The gods are at war, and Hades wants to capture the Hogwarts Express." She pulled Cho into a hug. "But, it's good to see you again, Cho. I missed you. I'm sorry I never had the chance to say goodbye."

"It's fine, you were on a quest," Cho reassured her.

Annabeth pulled back, a little suspicious. "How did you know? Genevieve cared enough to tell you that?"Fear flashed in Cho's eyes. But, before either of them could say anything, they heard a scream from one of the other platforms. "Angelos." She drew her sword. "You know how to fight?" she asked Cho.

Cho tightened her grip on her wand. "I can hold my own."

They ran into the grand hall. Angelos was nowhere to be seen, but two dozen death eaters in cloaks and masks laughed as helpless mortals dangled in the air by their ankles. Cho pointed her wand at the mortals, and they fell from the sky and scurried away. More death eaters cursed the freed mortals, and they fell to the ground screaming as their bodies contorted in horrific, painful ways.

"We can't fight mortals with our swords," Annbeth muttered. "Where are Ron and Hermione?"

The words barely escaped her mouth before Cho charged at the death eaters. Light poured from her wand, releasing what mortals she could from their jinxes. Death eaters finally took notice of her. One shouted "Avada Kedavra!" forcing Cho to roll out of the way. She returned the spell with one of her own, and the ground in front of the death eater exploded. She ran and dove and waved her wand, somehow holding her own against insurmountable odds.

Annabeth ran towards a crowd of helpless mortals, trapped on the edge of platform eight with three death eaters cackling. "Jump on the tracks, muggles," one of them sneered. "You'll wish for a train when we're done with you..."

She charged at the death eaters. She grabbed one by the shoulders and kicked him in the small of the back. He stumbled and fell over the edge of the platform. He hit the tracks hard, headfirst, and crumpled to the ground. "Who's next?!" Annabeth shouted. "You'll wish for Azkaban when _I'm _done with you!"

The remaining two death eaters snarled at her. "Crucio!" She dove out of the way just in time. The spell hit the column behind her and dissolved.

_If I get them angry, they'll keep their focus on me, and the mortals can escape. _

"You'll have to do better than that!" Annabeth shouted. She pulled her Yankee's cap out of her pocket and threw it on, becoming invisible.

"She has a cloak of invisibility!"

Annabeth kicked one of them, but they were too smart to let her knock them onto the tracks like she did before. She got in close, punched one of them, then dove out of the way as they shot a spell in her general direction. She made sure to keep changing her position in case one of the death eaters got wise and caught on to her pattern.

The plan worked. With both death eaters distracted, the mortals ran away from the platform's edge.

Of course, Annabeth's luck finally wore out. After she broke one of the death eater's noses, one of them shouted "Imperius!" and it hit Annabeth square in the chest. _"Take off your hat..." _a cruel voice coaxed in her head.

_This is the spell that controls your free will! They don't know how easily I can resist. If I play along, I'll catch them off-guard. _

Annabeth took off her hat. _"Give Kara the hat..." _

Since one death eater was a boy and the other a girl, it was easy to figure out who Kara was. She walked towards the woman, hat held out to her. Kara wore a smug smile as she held out her hand, waiting for Annabeth to obey. At the last second, Annabeth side-stepped and pushed Kara into her friend. The two toppled like dominos and fell onto the tracks.

Annabeth ran back to the grand hall. Cho was holding their own pretty well. She'd done something to confuse the death eaters, so they ran around like headless chickens. She picked them off one by one with jinx after jinx.

Annabeth was in awe long enough to let her guard down. Someone grabbed her from behind. "Tell your friend to stand down, or we'll kill you all."

Annabeth whimpered... then bit his hand and stomped on his foot at the same time. She made a mad dash to Cho, where she'd be better protected, but thick ropes grabbed her from behind and dragged her back to the death eater. Demigods could resist almost any spell, but rope was still rope. She couldn't phase through it just because some follower of Hecate enchanted it.

She strained for her sword; maybe she could saw the rope away? But it was in its holster, too far from hands now crisscrossed across her chest. She put her personal pride aside-and seeing how pride was her fatal flaw, that was saying something-and bunny-hopped towards Cho. But the death eater could run, and she couldn't. He caught up with her easily.

"Time to die," the death eater told her with an evil sneer. "Keep your head down in the Underworld. Hades won't like that you fought his allies." Annabeth said nothing. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. He mistook her silence for confusion. "Nevermind all that. You'll meet the gods soon enough."

Annabeth met his eye, glaring at him with the most intense, intelligent, dangerous look she could muster. He hesitated, fearful, only for a second. But a second was all that she needed. Red light hit him, and he fell to the ground. Her ropes unraveled and melted away.

She grinned at Ron and Hermione. "Took you long enough."

"We got here in time to save your sorry ass," Ron retorted.

Annabeth looked around. Cho had finished off the last of the death eaters. They were all on the floor of King's Cross station, dead, stunned, or incapable of moving. Angelos was nowhere to be seen.

"This isn't right," Annabeth said. "It should've been harder."

"Do you think it's a trap?" Hermione asked.

"She's trying to lull us into a false sense of security, get us to lower our guard," Ron said.

Annabeth shook her head. "No. She wanted to see how we fight-get to know her enemy."

The grand hall hissed. The noise got louder and louder until Annabeth had to cover her ears. Winds as strong as Zeus and Poseidon's hurricane enveloped the room, tossing the bodies of the defeated death eaters around like beach balls. The hiss turned to windy, sinister laughter.

"Very wise, daughter of Athena. If only you realized it sooner." Hundreds-maybe thousands-of ghosts appeared, forcing Annabeth and her friends to scrunch together. A beautiful maiden with long, auburn hair and a floor-length blue-gray dress appeared in front of them. "Your friends have captured Melinoe. The ghosts return to Hades, and they are anxious to take revenge on the goddess who betrayed them."

"But ghosts can't touch anything!" Hermione protested.

"Hades has complete control over the dead. My lord has far more power in his pinky finger than your patron ever had. If he wills it so, they may touch the mortal world."

"Annabeth?" Ron asked nervously. "Where's your army?"

Angelos smiled a cruel smile. "Attack, restless spirits, and Hades shall set you free forever."

**_PERCY_**

Riddle lured them to a campsite. There was a tree stump for a table-slash-chair, a small fire pit for light and warmth, and a nest of leaves to act as a bed. It was also the only spot in the jungle that had any light at all. It was still so dim that Percy couldn't see past his nose, but the fact that he could see at all was a minor miracle.

"You see where I spend eternity?" Riddle hissed at Nico and Alabaster. Apparently, they were the only two he found worthy of his time.

"You hid from Hades," Nico reminded him in his scary-child-of-the-Underworld voice. "You created horcruxes. You cheated death twice. You earned Punishment."

"Without Hecate's betrayal, I would have defied your gods forever!"

Alabaster's eyes shone with hatred, but Nico held him back. "If I hadn't done it, Harry Potter would've killed you," Nico said. "No one can escape Thanatos." Something growled in the dark. Riddle flinched. "You fear the unknown, Riddle, the dark and the mysterious. You fear death. You let these fears rule your life. You deserve this prison. A few millennia of torture might finally give you some perspective."

"We are the same, son of death."

"I know. But I overcame my fears. You're doomed to cower with yours forever."

Riddle fixed his eyes on Alabaster. "Tell me then, Nico di Angelo, why do you indulge my brother?"

"You're _not _my brother!" Alabaster spat. Percy instinctively took a step back. He'd never seen anyone look so ravenous. "You're only a descendant of Hecate! She owes you _nothing_!"

"And yet, without me, you would not exist. You would be wise to not insult me. If this is what Hades has done to me for my crimes, imagine what he will do to you for yours."

Alabaster screamed. Blinding light burst from his palm and hit Riddle square in the chest. It should've gone right through him, but, somehow, it pushed him to the ground instead. Alabaster watched with pleasure as Riddle cowered between his feet. He mouthed an incantation, a hungry, violent look in his eyes.

This was the former general of Kronos's demigods. He was no stranger to cruelty.

"Al!" Lou shouted. "Stop it! He's trying to get under your skin!"

But Alabaster continued to chant. Riddle was shivering with fear now... or maybe that was Alabaster's curse.

Even Nico looked unsettled-and that took a lot. "This is what you meant during our psychic link. You thought I wanted you to cast dark magic. _That's _what you swore never to do again." He gingerly touched his friend's arm. "Al... listen to your sister."

Alabaster turned around and saw the tears streaming down Lou's face. The harsh light in his eyes faded away. He lowered his hand and took a step back. Riddle pushed himself off of the ground and ran into the jungle, too terrified to remember the dangers that lie there.

"Mom told me his punishment," Alabaster said with an empty voice. "Every night he's hunted by an unknown enemy. Every night he hides. Every night he dies." He clenched his fist. "Guess I'm just another weapon in the Underworld's arsenal."

_He sounds like Nico. _

Nico led them through the rest of the forest. The trees thinned after a few minutes, and they were soon on the other side. "We'll rest here," Nico said. They didn't argue. It had been too long since they'd made camp.

No one felt like sleeping. They passed around some food and Lou started a fire. If it weren't for the somber atmosphere, it might've felt like the bonfire back at camp.

"What's your story?" Nico asked Alabaster. The son of Hecate focused on his granola bar. He looked demonic with his face lit up in the orange firelight. "Please, Al. I need to know what that was about. And why does Persephone hate you so much? She said you were Hecate's most egregious break of the ancient laws! What did Riddle mean, about the gods punishing you? They forgave all the demigods who fought for Kronos. Tell me, please. You're one of my best friends, and I know nothing about you."

"I'm not a happy story," Alabaster warned.

"Neither am I."

Alabaster looked helplessly at Lou Ellen. She nodded to him. She was the only one who didn't seem afraid.

"Riddle killed thousands of wizards during his first reign of terror," Alabaster began. "Mom didn't want to see it. Merlin was up in arms-it was the only time their marriage came close to breaking. He told her that if she was so sure Riddle was innocent, she should test him. So, she put herself in the center of a death eater attack, pretending to be a muggle-born witch."

"And she faced Riddle?" Hestia asked.

Alabaster shook his head. "She never got the chance. One of the death eaters saw her... and... raped her. She was in such denial that she didn't realize what was happening until it was too late. She killed him as soon as she came to her senses, but she was already pregnant." Alabaster pushed back tears. "Mom should've put me in an orphanage in the Wizarding World, but she took responsibility for me. Merlin adopted me, and they raised me, taught me magic."

"What about the empousa?" Will asked. "You must've been surrounded by them. I'm surprised you got out alive." Percy thought of Kelli, the world's most terrifying cheerleader. She'd once hypnotized him into falling in love with her to lure him to his death; she would've succeeded if Rachel hadn't snapped him out of it.

"Uhh..." Alabaster turned bright red. "Mom forbid them from speaking to me, and warned me... but, well, I was a middle schooler surrounded by... you know. We had a-few-run-ins..." He fell silent. In different circumstances, embarrassed Alabaster would be funny, but, now, Percy just felt sad.

Alabaster cleared his throat. "Um... anyway, by the time I was ten I'd mastered enough magic to pay my dues. I did tasks for Mom and Merlin. I saw the way Olympus slighted us. I met Luke Castellan when I was twelve. He asked Mom to brew him a powerful poison; in return, she'd get the respect she deserved. Mom entrusted me with the task."

Percy's vision went red. "You were the one who poisoned Thalia's tree?"

"What?!" Thalia cried. "You _poisoned me_?!"

"Is that what it was for?" Alabaster asked, his voice empty. "I'm sorry." He swallowed hard. "I recruited for the cause. I contacted my siblings stuck in the Hermes cabin. The empousa and I sniffed out other demigods. Kronos rewarded me. I became the general of the demigods. I was so angry about what Olympus did to us that I was blind. One of my sisters betrayed Kronos. She was one of the older and more powerful children of Hecate. Luke ordered me to kill her. I did, proudly, without a second thought."

"Persephone's curse," Nico realized. "Your siblings followed you blindly. And you were forced to kill the sibling who challenged your power."

Alabaster nodded, tears streaming down his face. "I watched them die on the Princess Andromeda. I brought who was left to New York. I slew mortals with dark magic, just like Riddle. I slaughtered children of the gods. When we lost, I urged Mom to keep fighting Olympus. The Council wanted to kill me, but Mom disgraced herself and pled for my life. The gods told her to rejoin them, or they would destroy me. She agreed, and Jupiter sent me into exile." Bitterness returned to his voice. "I couldn't help Mom anymore. I couldn't return to the Wizarding World or Mom's seat of power. Lamia, one of Gaea's allies, chased me around America and- and killed my friend Claymore."

"You mentioned him when we spoke to your mom," Nico said. "Something about a Mistform?"

"It's powerful magic," Alabaster explained. "Hecate was the mistress of ghosts before Melinoe was born. We have power over them. Mom restored Claymore. He was my only companion."

"Until you let him go so he could be reborn," Nico finished. "I remember."

Alabaster was shaking. "But he gave me one last gift. Mom wanted me to find a way to stop the curse. Claymore realized we could use the Wizarding World. So, Mom brought me home, despite Olympus's ultimatum. And that's when I met you, Nico." Alabaster bit his lip. "I can't forgive Olympus for what they've done to Mom, even if they are better than Kronos. Riddle was right: I'm afraid. What are they going to do to me, who slaughtered their children and went back on their agreement after they offered me mercy? I knew from the moment I saw Lamia-I'm damned. But, after all I've done... I deserve it."

Lou took his hand. "You were a victim of Persephone's curse, Al."

"Yeah," Nico agreed. "Take it from someone who knows. Your mom was your world. You felt indebted to her. Of course you would do what she asked; you were a kid. None of this is your fault."

"I made those decisions," Alabaster protested. "And Hades won't care who's fault it is. You know that."

The fire popped and crackled some more. Percy's apple felt dry in his mouth. He knew Alabaster had done horrible things, but he also knew Nico was right. They'd all done terrible things in the name of family. Could he blame Nico for working with Minos to bring Bianca back? Or Thalia killing demigods on Mount Orphys? Could they blame _him _for blowing up the Princess Andromeda?

But then he realized what Nico just said, and his thoughts short-circuited.

"Nico? What did you mean, 'take it from someone who knows?' Did... Hades consider... joining Kronos?"

Nico recoiled. "No! Not at all! Even he's not that cruel, and _definitely _not that stupid."

"Then how were you in the same situation as Alabaster?"

Nico looked at him with disbelief. "I thought that was obvious. Hades took me in, too, when I had no family left. I did tasks for him to repay that debt." Nico scoffed. "Not that it was a debt. Parent taking care of their child, what a favor! And he didn't even do that-he barely looked at me."

"Hold up!" Thalia said. "I knew Hades called on you, but you _lived _here?"

"I train with the dead," Nico replied. Percy remembered the last time he'd said that, the night after the Battle of the Labyrinth. But it wasn't until now that Percy put two and two together.

"You stayed in the Palace. I thought you were traveling in and out of the Underworld. But when you weren't... you lived with Hades."

"What's the big deal?" Blaise asked, looking around at the others. Every demigod, minus the confused Nico, was pale and silent. "I don't get it. Aren't parents supposed to take care of their kids?"

"Not gods," Will explained. "You grow up in the mortal world. Direct interference is rare. And _raising _your child... that's against the ancient laws. It's one of the oldest and most severe laws of them all."

"But where else was I supposed to go?" Nico protested. "Olympus cast me aside! It's just like Al and Hecate!"

"Hecate's a titan, Nico," Alabaster told him. "The gods don't keep track of her. She plays by different rules. And she still had to be careful. They passed me off as a minor god so Jupiter wouldn't raise an eyebrow. Hades is an Olympian. It doesn't matter if you had nowhere else to go. If Jupiter got word of it..." The implication hung in the air.

"It barely counts," Nico muttered. "He hated me."

"Nico..." Thalia said gently. "That's a _huge _law he broke. He could've been seriously, seriously punished."

"It was for his own personal pride," Nico spat. "He wanted me to be the one of the prophecy so he could become king of the gods. He ignored me, he hardly looked at me-"

"He entrusted you with war preparations, had you do important favors for him, recruited warriors to train you, brought you food from the surface world, gave you a place to stay," Percy corrected, a little harsher than he should've. How could Nico not see? "Nico, Hades was distant because he was scared. You were eleven, and a talkative, energetic kid. The less he acknowledged you, the better chance he had that you wouldn't tell anyone."

Nico rolled his eyes. "He would've told me not to say anything."

"Would _you _go up to your son and say, 'don't tell anyone you're here because the other gods might kill you and throw me into Tartarus.'? I heard what he said to you before the Battle of Manhattan, I know he was using you, at least at first. But it's obvious he wasn't _only _using you. He was trying to take care of you."

"They wouldn't have thrown him into Tartarus, Percy!"

"_Think_, Nico! You know how paranoid Hades is-in his mind, is there _anything _Zeus wouldn't do?"

"He told you he wanted you to be happy," Will agreed. "Neeks... maybe that didn't come out of nowhere."

"But-" Nico froze. "Al... how long have Hades and Persephone known about you?" Alabaster hesitated. "Please, Al, just tell me."

"I stole some things from Persephone's nymphs when I was twelve. She caught me, but I got away. I ran into them a few more times after that, but..."

"Twelve." Nico repeated. "I would've been ten, fresh out of the Lotus, at Westover with Bianca. Persephone said you were Hecate's biggest break of the ancient laws, but they couldn't bring her before the council about it. But Hades _could've _prosecuted Hecate... he wasn't a hypocrite until he took me in... he could've won everything, gotten rid of her forever... but he chose me instead."

"Nico..." Hestia whispered. She reached out to touch him, but he shrank away.

"No wonder he hates me. He risked everything for me, sacrificed everything for me, and I betrayed him. Now, I'll never get the chance to say I'm sorry."

Percy crawled across their little circle and wrapped him up in a hug. Nico was too distraught to shrink away; he buried his tear-stained face in Percy's shoulder. Then, the son of Hades whispered to himself, low enough that he thought not even Percy could hear:

"_Perdonami_, Dad..."

Percy didn't have to speak Italian to know that meant, 'Forgive me.'

**END NOTES**

The title and hammer story is an homage to "Hank Tried to Kill Me With a Hammer" by the Vlogbrothers. Where my nerdfighters at?

(And yes, my beta commentary joke made it into this chapter and I regret nothing.)

Credits:  
Author: Melody Rose (Tumblr melody0rose)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!


	28. Annabeth's Army Is Fashionably Late

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

Angelos attacks King's Cross. The Underworld crew makes their final stand against Persephone's forces. Bianca and Nico di Angelo's lives change forever now that Mussolini knows who they are.

**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: Teen and Up Audiences  
Content Warning: Cursing, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Sexual Themes, Self Harm (mentioned only), Rape (referenced only)  
Word Count: 5142

This is the last one for today.

This chapter (and Alabaster's section of last chapter) will make much more sense to you if you've read the Demigod Diaries' "The Son of Magic." (That's Al's first appearance... and currently only canonical appearance.)

Enjoy! I think this is one of my best chapters, definitely in this story, and also in the series as a whole.

**_ANNABETH_**

Annabeth looked around. Hazel and Cho had finished off the last of the death eaters. They were all on the floor of King's Cross station, dead, stunned, or incapable of moving. Angelos was nowhere to be seen.

"This isn't right," Annabeth said. "It should've been harder."

"Do you think it's a trap?" Hermione asked.

"She's trying to lull us into a false sense of security, get us to lower our guard," Ron said.

Annabeth shook her head. "No. She wanted to see how we fight-get to know her enemy."

The grand hall hissed. The noise got louder and louder until Annabeth had to cover her ears. Winds as strong as Zeus and Poseidon's hurricane enveloped the room, tossing the bodies of the defeated death eaters around like beach balls. The hiss turned to windy, sinister laughter.

"Very wise, daughter of Athena. If only you realized it sooner." Hundreds-maybe thousands-of ghosts appeared, forcing Annabeth and her friends to scrunch together. A beautiful maiden with long, auburn hair and a floor-length blue-gray dress appeared in front of them. "Your friends have captured Melinoe. The ghosts return to Hades, and they are anxious to take revenge on the goddess who betrayed them."

"But ghosts can't touch anything!" Hermione protested.

"Hades has complete control over the dead. My lord has far more power in his pinky finger than your patron ever had. If he wills it so, they may touch the mortal world."

"Annabeth?" Ron asked nervously. "Where's your army?"

Angelos smiled a cruel smile. "Attack, restless spirits, and Hades shall set you free forever."

"What are we going to do?" Hermione whispered. "We can't kill something that's already dead."

"We have to try," Ron said. Without thinking, like the brave Gryffindor he was, he drew his wand and charged. "Ron!" Hermione shouted, but it was too late.

It was as though he'd taken a dip in the Styx. She was nothing but a pale smudge as he fired spell after spell. Ghosts shouted battle cries and swatted the air, but they only managed to knock their companions out. They weren't used to being corporeal, and that was working in Ron's favor.

Their victory didn't last long, though. A thick plume of smoke darkened the air. Angelos cackled, louder and louder as the room got darker and darker. A medieval ghost jumped on Ron and dragged him behind their lines. He screamed and fought, but was soon absorbed by the crowd. Only her muffled grunts proved she was still alive.

"No!" Cho cried. She tried to charge, but Annabeth pulled her back.

"You can't kill them. You'll die if you go in there."

A loud horn sounded. Angelos's laughs turned to fury. "No! It's impossible!"

A teen Romani girl appeared on the balcony. "Where there are foul creatures to be hunted, we shall hunt. In our Lady's name!"

Thirty arrows hit thirty ghosts, incapacitating them. Five wolves jumped over the ledge at their mistress's command and burrowed their way to the center of the crowd, ripping to shreds anyone who stood in their way. A path was finally open to retreat. Annabeth led the others out of the circle of ghosts. "Guard the stairwells!" Annabeth told Cho and Hermione. Then, she dashed up to the balcony.

"Roszí? I am so glad to see you."

Roszí gave a curt nod. "Yasmina brought the Hunters south, as Thalia instructed. A child of Hecate brought us to our sisters at Thalia's request." She paused. "Thou shalt command better than I. The rescue of Hazel Levesque requires precision. I go."

Without another word, Roszí crouched like a cat on top of the guardrail and surveyed her surroundings. Narrow eyes zeroed in on Ron. Then, she was off. Six hunters showered arrows so closely around Roszí that Annabeth was sure they'd hit her, but, of course, they only incapacitated her enemies. Roszí fought with nothing but her hunting knife, twisting, turning, diving, ducking, jumping, avoiding every obstacle with superhuman reflexes. She made one final grab, and Ron was in her arms, beaten, but all right.

Roszí threw Ron out of the crowd. Ianthe, waiting just in front of the stairwell, caught him. Four ghosts charged, but Ianthe dashed through the followers of Hecate's defensive line well before they could catch her. Hermione shouted "Protego!" and the air hardened in front of her. The four ghosts slammed into their shield and fell to the ground, out cold.

_Corporeal bodies go both ways. _

"The ghosts are a distraction!" Annabeth shouted. "Focus your arrows on Angelos!" Roszí fought valiantly in the center of the ghosts, but it was clear not even she could last forever. "Your three best hand-to-hand fighters, go rescue Roszí!" she commanded the Hunters. Three girls leaped off the ledge in unison and landed inches from Roszí. Together, the four of them began to clear a path back to their allies.

But, not even the Hunters could hold their own against a goddess forever. Black orbs like Bludgers appeared in the sky and rammed into a young girl, no older than eleven. Her skin turned white, and she fell to the ground, dead. "Yasmina!" Roszí shouted. But there was no time to avenge her fallen comrade; Yasmina's death only proved that even the immortals were fighting for their lives.

If Percy or Harry Potter were there, they'd do something rash, like charge Angelos. Well, they weren't there... so Cho did it instead.

**_CHO_**

Cho seized the opportunity to finally join the battle. She was a Ravenclaw, not a Gryffindor-Annabeth shouldn't have held her back, she should've known that the odds would be in her favor. Cho was their best chance. She ran from her spot by the stairwell and into the mess of ghosts, banking on the fact that the King and Queen of the Underworld had marked her as their own, so the ghosts would be confused, maybe hesitate to fight her.

She got through to Yasmina's frozen body. She grabbed the hunting knife off the dead Hunter, then charged towards the center. When a ghost got in her way, she stabbed.

It turned out they could kill a spirit after all.

"Call off your ghosts!" Cho shouted to Angelos. The goddess turned, pure hatred in her all-black eyes.

"I think I'll send you to my dearest Hades first," Angelos sneered. "Not even a demigod! You cannot fight me, girl!"

"I don't want to," Cho whispered, lying between her teeth. "I'm a spy for Lord Hades. I'd love for you to take King's Cross. In fact, I was going to sabotage them. But, there's a bigger game to play. If you let my friends go, they'll lead me to a weapon that will defeat Hecate once and for all."

"And why should I believe you?"

"You saw me killing ghosts on my way to you. Lord Hades is my patron now. He gave me that power."

Angelos's mouth widened into a sickening smile. It made Cho's blood boil-how could anyone ally themselves with this horrible woman?

"Strike me down, follower of Hecate."

So, Cho did. Angelos fought back, but, secretly, every spell she cast was a little bit slower, a little bit weaker. Cho got bruised and cursed but fought on. Angelos let enough blows past that the ghosts ran away, terrified a Hecate victory would damn them forever. With Angelos's less-than-loyal army retreating, her friends were able to join her. Cho stumbled and fell on the ground; she felt like she had the world's worst flu from what hexes Angelos had hit her with.

A flurry of arrows protected Annabeth Chase as she went toe-to-toe with the goddess. Her sword was nothing less than a weapon of mass destruction. When Angelos was bathed in golden blood, the goddess screamed in anguish. The air got electric and, this time, Cho knew what that meant. She shielded her eyes as Angelos showed her true godly form, then dissolved.

_Why did she go into her godly... oh. _

The ghosts didn't know to look away like Cho and her companions did. Angelos did her one final favor-the ghosts were back in the Underworld.

"Give them another chance," Cho prayed to Lord Hades under her breath. She had no idea if he'd answer her, but she had to try. She saw the Fields of Asphestol. If those witches and wizards chose another path, Cho didn't want to be the one responsible for damning them.

The Romani Hunter came up to Cho. "I am Roszí Lungu arri e Romani kinchni. Who art thou?"

"Cho Chang. You- you were _amazing_. So brave. I'm so sorry about your friend."

Roszí closed her eyes; Cho knew that look of grief all too well. "My heart breaks for my sister. We shall grieve when this monstrous war is past. Lady Artemis shall be most distraught." Roszí opened her eyes again. She regarded Cho with interest. "Thou art brave as well. Fighting a goddess-only one with the spirit of a true maiden would hold thy own as gallantly." She smiled warmly, which was odd for someone who held herself as proud and stiff as Roszí. "I 'twas once like thee, centuries ago. I lived under a corrupt regime, as you did with your Ministry-hath thou heard of the Austro-Hungarian Empire?"

"In muggle elementary school," Cho said. "You lived there? How are you still alive? I- I mean-"

Roszí laughed. "I am a Hunter. We are immortal from the moment we take our oath of maidenhood, unless we fall in battle or break that oath."

"And you're the leader, right?"

Roszí shook her head. "Lady Artemis, goddess of the Hunt, leads us. But she fights the war and leaves us to be her peacekeepers. She hast chosen Hades' side, but my mistress is not like the other gods. She wishes the war to a speedy finish. Thus, she hath entrusted us to fight in her name. Our First Lieutenant, Thalia Grace, holds the Doors of Orpheus with Camp Half-Blood. I am Thalia's second-in-command; thus I lead today."

"Ah," Cho said. "You're a really good fighter."

"My Lady's patronage enhances my abilities," she said. "The Hunt doth not cease... though our numbers may." She cast another grievous look at Yasmina's body, carried to another platform in the arms of her sisters. "My sisters and I must conduct last rites for Yasmina." Roszí reached into her pocket and pulled out a silver calling card. "I offer you the chance to join the Hunt, Cho Chang. Consider thy decision well. Should you accept, we shall be family forever."

Cho glanced at the card. It was gray with silver lettering:

_The Hunters of Artemis _  
_Is eternal maidenhood right for you? _  
_Iris Message us today!_

_You already chose Lord Hades. Like it or not, that's the path you're on now. You can't serve two gods._

**_HERMIONE_**

The Hunters gave Yasmina last rites on Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters. When Hermione, Ron, Annabeth, and Cho ran through the brick wall, the wolves had already fetched enough wood to make the funeral pyre. They wrapped Yasmina's body in a silver shroud and laid her on top. A few of the Hunters said something about their lost sister. Every Hunter had tears in their eyes.

The funeral lasted ten minutes-they didn't have time for anything longer. "We shall mourn properly when this war is past," Roszí assured the other Hunters. Then, she turned to Cho. "Cho, may you light the pyre?"

"Yeah," Cho said, lost in her own thoughts. She waved her wand, and the wood caught fire.

_She cast that spell without an incantation. I didn't know she could do such advanced magic. _

After a moment of silence, Ron motioned to Annabeth, Hazel, and Cho. "Let's give them space."

They walked to the other end of the platform, out of earshot of the Hunters. "What's next?" Hermione asked Annabeth.

"We find the Philosopher's Stone."

"Wait, we?" Cho asked.

Annabeth nodded. "Whichever god Genevieve was, she chose you, Cho. She led you to us. It's your quest too."

"She's right," Ron agreed. "Remember what Rachel said: 'A god's warrior appears when the first meets their end.' Percy... Percy was part of our team. He's- he's gone now, and Cho's here. She's meant to help us."

"If it's what I'm meant to do, I'll do it," Cho said, sounding braver than the terrified look on her face indicated. "But, where do we start?"

"The last anyone heard of the Stone, it was buried under Hogwarts," Hermione said. "But if we're meant to find it, it can't be gone, can it?"

"No," Annabeth agreed. "Godly weapons usually reappear to their owner. Like how Percy's sword always comes back to him because it used to be a Hesperides' weapon."

"It's said that Hecate made the Philosopher's Stone for Merlin," Cho put in. "Wouldn't that make Merlin its guardian?"

"Why would he want me and Hermione to give it to him, then?" Ron asked.

"Slytherin!" Hermione cried. "Merlin must've left it to his son when he died! Nicolas Flammel and his wife were both in Slytherin house when the Founders were still alive; Slytherin was their mentor. And, Riddle was Slytherin's descendant. They're the only two people I know who had the Stone after Merlin died."

"They couldn't keep it in the family after Hecate used it to turn Merlin into a god," Annabeth realized. "She did what Hades did-gave it to the Wizarding World as a magical item. The only proof of her crime would be gone forever. We have to find Slytherin's sacred place."

"That's easy," Cho said with a knowing smile. With that knowing glow in her eyes, she could've passed for Ravenclaw herself. "Let's go to Hogwarts and find the Bloody Baron. He knew Slytherin personally. He'll know where to go."

Annabeth smiled. "Let's get going, then."

**_NICO_**

They all pretended not to hear Nico cry that night.

_"Papà!" Nico shouted with glee. He ran out the front door of the villa and straight into his father's waiting arms._

_Papà made a slight "oof!" when Nico slammed into him._

_"Papà?" Bianca's voice came from the doorway. She ran a hand through her messy hair-she'd just woken up from a short nap. She walked out the door too, but much more hesitantly than Nico. "Mamma said we had another week."_

_"There's been a change of plans," Papà said in a grave tone. "Where is she?"_

_"At the market," Nico told him, releasing him from the hug. "Is it time?"_

_Papà nodded._

Life was hard once Mussolini visited their villa. Nonno became Nico's general first and grandfather second. Terrified the government would come to take his grandchildren away, he pushed them both hard. He bought them guns and taught them to shoot. He bought them soldier's swords and taught them how to duel. Mamma sewed dummies for them to wrestle. Soon, they were fighting each other. Every day one of them would get a new scar.

But no one saw worse than Bianca. Nico realized today what her fate would be: a broodmare. When Mussolini came to take him away, she'd be confined to Rome and turned into a prize. War heroes, government officials, model citizens, anyone Mussolini deemed worthy would rape her. They'd use her to create a master race of demigods: children of the best men of Italy and Hitler's young sister.

That was when Bianca got shy. That was when she got scared. Mamma and the servants pushed her day and night to learn how to be the perfect lady, the ideal wife, in an effort to protect her. She found salvation during the hours she trained with Nico, but most of her day was spent at the sewing machine, in the kitchen, taking notes at the brothel. It was degrading, and, once she realized what was to come, terrifying.

Two years went by. Almost a month after he turned nine years old, Kristallnacht-the Night of Broken Glass-ushered the Holocaust into Germany. Tensions flared between Hades and his brothers. His son Hitler began planning his invasion of Poland. Hades had shown Mussolini their true parentage. Whether it was a long con to give Hitler another weapon, or a short-sighted way to save Nonno for Maria that backfired big-time, he realized the government would come for his children sooner rather than later.

That was when Nico walked in on his mother and her "puzzles" and told Nico it was time to go to America.

They were pulled out of school. Their English lessons were so constant that they became fluent in six months. Mamma secretly taught them Greek Mythology at night, once Nonno was asleep.

But, a year passed, and they were still in Italy. Mamma, brave to a fault, assured them they were going nowhere. She stalled for the sake of her father and to give her children some stability.

Until the Great Prophecy came, and Hitler invaded Poland.

_Nonno came out of the villa, his eyes red from crying. A lump formed in Nico's throat. He would have to leave Nonno. Mamma said it wouldn't be forever, but he'd never left Nonno for more than a day, not once in his ten years alive._

_Nico and Bianca hit Nonno at the exact same time. The three of them squeezed each other tight. "Come with us!" Bianca begged him._

_"I won't leave your Nonna," Nonno said, stubborn as his daughter. "Besides, someone must hold the fort. It's what a soldier does, hmm?" He made a silly face, and his grandchildren both laughed. "It will go by in no time at all. And then you will be back where you belong, and all this will be over."_

_"Must you stay?" came Papà's voice from over his shoulder. Nico was in shock. Papà and Nonno despised each other! He'd never heard either one of them talk unless someone forced them to._

_But, for once, Nonno didn't look at Papà with hate. In lightly accented English, he said, "When Il Duce comes, I will wait for him with a gun. He will not take my grandchildren. Protect them well, Andrew. Bring them home."_

_"Hades," Papà said... almost like he was correcting Nonno._

_"Hades?" Nonno questioned. Mamma, once on her way back from the market, froze on the walkway. Her wide eyes questioned Papà._

_"You know the myths," Papà said firmly. "I am Hades."_

_Nonno looked from Papà to Mamma. Disbelief turned to absolute shock as Mamma nodded her head in agreement. Nico felt the same way. Hades was from the myths Mamma taught them..._

_"Papà's a god?" Bianca asked in her terrified voice. She used it a lot now._

_"Yes," Papà said. "I'll explain another time. But now, we have to go."_

_Nonno wrapped Mamma, Bianca, and Nico in one last, big hug. "I love you all. Be safe. And, Maria... I'm sorry for ever doubting your choice."_

The last few months of his first life went by in a blur, so much so that Nico doubted he'd ever remember much. They stayed at the embassy, then with Nonno's work friends, then with some of Mamma's friends from her "puzzles." They met nymphs and satyrs loyal to Persephone who hid them, despite her and Hades' separation.

Then, the villa in Italy was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. Not one person escaped. Not Claudia, Cuncaire, or any other servant. And certainly not Nonno.

When they heard the news, terrified, Hades moved them to a hotel near the entrance to the Underworld and begged Mamma to let him take the children down. Mamma, brave to a fault, stalled for the sake of her children.

All her life, she did everything possible to live for her children.

But Zeus had other plans.

Hades could've given them to Hitler, to aid his son's cause, but he didn't. That was enough to prove that he loved Maria di Angelo, that, even if he didn't kill him, he didn't support what his son was doing. He turned his back on that part of his family when he had so little.

He could've brought them to the Underworld, now that Maria di Angelo, the only dissenting opinion, was dead. Persephone left him; while she was still in the Underworld, as she had to be, based on what Nico knew, she stayed in the parts of the Underworld Hades chose not to go. He had no queen, no one to object.

He had no one left. But, for the sake of the children he loved, he selflessly gave them to the addiction of the Lotus Hotel and Casino.

_He must've been over the moon when he got me back at his door, begging for him to take me in. He had his son in the Palace, finally, after he lost everyone else. And look what I did to him. _

_He hates me. Dad. __Papà__. _

_And I deserve it. _

If Percy hadn't taken his sword away, Nico would be half-dead from blood loss right about now.

**_PERCY_**

No one woke up on December 26th well rested. They couldn't, with Nico's soft moans and tears and Will's futile attempts to calm him. Alabaster also screamed out in the night, reliving his past through nightmares. Lou did what she could, but nothing could stop Morpheus's torture.

Percy hadn't felt so helpless in a long time.

Before the night was out, Alabaster gave up on sleeping and elected to pace just outside their campsite, muttering to himself like a madman. Maybe it was good to have someone on watch, but Jason wasn't positive how much he could do to an enemy in his current state.

No one said anything when Nico climbed out of his sleeping bag with puffy, bloodshot eyes. He turned to Lou and croaked, "Al had a bad night, too?" Lou nodded and pointed to her rambling half-brother.

"Al!" Nico shouted. Alabaster stopped muttering and turned. "Al! Get your ass over here! I know where the Artifacts are!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing.

"What?!"

"How?!"

"Nico, are you sure?!"

Alabaster came running. Nico didn't say a word; with dead eyes and sluggish hands, he pointed to the now dead campfire. Lou set it ablaze in seconds flat. Will forced some food into his boyfriend's hands, and they had breakfast.

"Persephone told me that the Artifacts are addictive, and that Thanatos once used it to try and depose Hades." Nico's voice popped and cracked like the fire, and his eyes were as empty as the skeletons he once fought with. "Remember the prophecy: 'the bane of the gods lies with the world's first high.' It's a double meaning: the Artifacts are the bane of the gods because they're addictive, but they're also in the world's first high. There's only one Greek myth that talks about addiction. The tree where Odysseus's men became addicted to the lotus flowers. It's in the Lotus Hotel and Casino."

Nico shuttered. Tears poured down his cheeks. Will took his hand and squeezed it. Nico buried his face in Will's shoulder. It took him a few moments to get ahold of himself. "Hades... Hades loved us so much. If he thought it was the place to hide us from the gods, that's enough for Persephone, too."

"Nico... you're a genius," Percy said.

"Thank Persephone," Nico hiccuped. "This is why you don't try to stop prophecies."

The air dropped twenty degrees. Everyone froze. The crackle of the campfire couldn't block out the faint drum of thousands of enemies marching towards them.

"Persephone found us," Thalia realized.

"Gates of Dawn," Lou Ellen said.

"Now," Percy agreed.

"No time to pack up!" Blaise ordered. "Run!"

They grabbed their weapons and bags, empty except nectar, ambrosia, and medical supplies, and sprinted behind Alabaster and Nico, guiding them to the Gates of Dawn. But they were too slow-Nico and Alabaster, incapacitated as they were, kept getting lost or confused. The army gained on them.

"We'll never make it..." Alabaster told Nico.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

They exchanged a look. It was the first time in hours either of them smiled.

"We'll meet you at the gates," Nico told the rest of them. "There's no one Persephone wants more than the two of us. We'll stall her army."

"Lou," Alabaster instructed, "you should sense where Mom's door is. Trust yourself."

Nico held out his hand, and Percy gave him his sword back. "Let's show them what the Twin Terrors can do."

**_NICO_**

Alabaster and he stood alone, like days past, as their friends ran to the Gates of Dawn. Alabaster's hands were so tightly fisted that Nico was pretty sure he was digging a hole in his palms with his own nails. "We can take them," Nico said.

"I'm not Tom Riddle. I'm not afraid to die." He smiled at Nico. "Thank you for being my best friend, Nico. You were the only one there for me when I took my first step back into the demigod world. If it weren't for you... I don't think I'd be fighting for peace today."

"Al, you're _not _going to die."

Alabaster gave him a broken smile. " 'The bane of the gods lies with the world's first high... / at the price of the cherished never seeing the sky.' " He pointed to the rocky cavern above them. "I don't see a sky."

"You'll. Be. Fine." Nico promised. "I won't let you fall."

"Nico... you don't get it. If I get my hands on the Artifacts... I'll give them to her. I won't betray Mom. And, let's be honest... I'm the only one they want more than you."

"There!" one of the Furies cackled.

Alabaster grabbed Nico's arm before he could stop him. "No!" Nico screamed, trying to fight his grip. But, it was already too late. Energy pouring out of his arm. Their psychic link dissolved. Now, Alabaster could sacrifice himself without killing Nico. Nico stumbled and fell to the ground, paralyzed. Helpless. It was all he could do to fight off passing out completely.

Alabaster pulled a card from his pocket and threw it in front of him. "_Incantare: Exercitus Resurget_!"

A thousand Mistform, all in Roman battle armor, rose up around the son of Hecate. Alabaster pushed the air, and they flew forward, forming a wall between him and the thousands of skeletons with guns, knives, and swords.

He rose his hand to the sky. "_Incantare: Clypeus Industria_!"

A force field of greek fire erupted from his palm, forming a bubble around him and the army.

_He's creating an arena; he's going to fight them all off himself while we escape. _

The skeletons were destroying Alabaster's Mistform, but that didn't matter. They were only meant to buy him a little time. He took one last card from his pocket.

"I never told you Elladora's warning," Alabaster said, his eyes on the advancing army. "I thought it was impossible, but now that you're going to the Lotus... she said, 'The Lethe consumes him.' "

Nico swallowed hard. That was scarily close to what Rachel had told him when she was possessed by Delphi. He had no idea what that meant, and, if the look in Alabaster's eyes was any indication, neither did he. Consumed by his memories? Was that why he kept blacking out?

The army marched forward. Alabaster gripped tighter on his card. "You saved me, Nico. Now, let me pay my debt. Be a hero for once."

The first of the skeletons broke through his defensive line. The card in Alabaster's hands started to glow like an orb.

"_Incantare: Maters Ignis_!"

Blue orbs-Nico recognized those from the Battle of Manhattan, when he'd seen them surrounding Olympus-shot from the card. They gathered together at light speed. Just before the last small orb entered the larger circle, Alabaster pointed at him, and Nico, seconds from sleep, felt himself being transported away.

He reappeared inside the Gates of Dawn. Alastor's curse had come true. To repent for the sins of his past, Alabaster had sacrificed his life. Because, in the distance, there was an electric blue mushroom cloud where his best friend used to be.

**END NOTES**

Body Count: 6

And another falls. Oh, this one hurt me.

Credits:  
Author: Melody Rose (Tumblr melody0rose)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!


	29. Alecto Has a Stick Up Her Ass

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

Nico, Thalia, and Rachel travel to the Lotus Hotel and Casino. Annabeth, Ron, Hermione, and Cho speak with the Bloody Baron.

**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: General Audiences  
Content Warning: Cursing, Graphic Depictions of Violence  
Word Count: 4135

We're going to finish either tomorrow or Wednesday. It depends how much time I have because I need to rewrite parts of the final chapter. Obviously you'll know tomorrow what's going to happen.

I also have a major announcement tomorrow, so stay tune!

And all the characters are owned by J.K. Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_HERMIONE_**

Hermione regretted it the moment Cho apparated them to Hogsmeade. Some other form of transport would delay the inevitable. She'd have time to prepare.

Hogsmeade didn't exist anymore. It was nothing but a battleground, full of the charred remains of buildings, some of them still smoldering. Stray wands cluttered the ground like fallen tree branches.

"Who do you think won?" Ron asked to break the morbid silence.

"No one," Cho said gently. "There's been riots all over the Wizarding World."

Hermione took a shaky breath, then grounded herself and said, "No, this _was _a battle, Cho, but not between Hecate and Hades. Ministry loyalists are fighting Percy's defendants. We're in the middle of a civil war." Hermione gave herself another moment before continuing. "It won't be long until both sides find leaders and organize into an army. You know muggle history, too-that's how this always goes. Hecate and Merlin knew it. We're their only hope."

"You can't think like that," Annabeth said. "You're this land's only hope, but not Hecate's. She'll see the other side of this no matter what. You can't finish a quest in any god's name; you have to do it for yourself."

Hermione looked at a pair of legs buried beneath the rubble of Honeyduke's. The ends of their robe fluttered in a sickening breeze.

"Let's find the Bloody Baron, then."

She barely felt the chill in the air as the three of them walked to the Hogwarts grounds. The only moment they stopped was when they reached a ridge with two cliffs, one slightly higher than the other, and a valley in the middle. Grass had grown over wand marks, and light snow covered any cracks in the earth. It could've been any other spot on the grounds.

"What is it?" Cho asked.

"You don't remember," Hermione realized. "I forgot, the Ministry wiped everyone's memories. This is where the battle was. Nico di Angelo killed Riddle right over there." She pointed to the far cliff, where Lord Voldemort once stood at the head of a grand army.

"Come on," Ron urged, steering Hermione away from all the bad memories. It was hard to turn her back on the valley.

Hogwarts was deserted. That was to be expected since Hogwarts was out for Christmas holiday.

_Harry would've been here. _

The thought was enough to bring tears to her eyes, but the time for grief was passed. She swallowed the lump in her throat and marched on with Annabeth, Ron, and Cho.

"The Bloody Baron's the Slytherin ghost. So, a Slytherin should know where to find him," Annabeth reasoned.

"Wait..." Hermione said. "I know one that will help us."

"Are you sure they're here over holiday?" Cho asked.

"He has to be, because the Furies killed his parents."

They found Malfoy alone, studying in the library. Hermione felt a pang of sympathy the moment she saw him-she knew what grief looked like, and he seemed way too engrossed in the book he was reading for it not to be an act. She knew his parents chose Lord Voldemort, and that, to the Furies, their crimes were too great for Azkaban, but it still seemed a little unfair. He didn't choose to join Riddle, his parents did. And, on that cliffside, she remembered seeing distinctly blond hair among the students who fought.

_But would he have fought if he knew he was fighting Riddle? Or maybe his parents did tell him, and he fought anyway. It doesn't matter why; either way, he defended the school. He may be a bully, but he isn't all bad. No one is. _

That was something she learned from Nico di Angelo.

"Can I talk to you?" Hermione asked in as soft a voice as she could. Still, he jumped. He looked up from his book. Glassy eyes morphed into his traditional sneer, but it looked forced, faked.

"What do you want, Granger?"

"I'm sorry about your parents."

Malfoy's grip tightened on his book. His harsh expression flickered. "It's only been a year since they went missing. I'm sure they're fine."

Hermione's heart broke. "Yeah, Draco, I'm sure they are."

Malfoy looked so stunned that she used his first name that he forgot he was supposed to hate her. His mouth twitched; Hermione realized he was close to tears. "Thank you." His grip relaxed, and he laid his book on the table. He looked away from Hermione for the first time. "Weasley," he muttered. "You're Cho Chang, right?" Cho nodded.

That's when he noticed Annabeth. Malfoy turned so pale that he might've been the ghost they were looking for. Hermione didn't understand. He knew Nico and he didn't get along, but Malfoy had never acted that terrified of Harry, and their feud could put any to shame.

"Guys!" Harry exclaimed. "I ran into Malfoy on my way back, outside his common room, he told me something di Angelo said in his sleep a few minutes ago... Malfoy heard di Angelo say, 'I'll kill you. My father is the Lord of the Dead; I'll kill you... Harry Potter.'

"Nico di Angelo came to Hogwarts to deliver me to his father. His father... Lord Voldemort."

"Oh!" Hermione cried, earning her a sharp glare from Madam Pince. "Draco, Nico isn't, erm... we... met his dad very soon after you spoke to Harry. It must've been a dream, and that's all."

Relief flashed on Malfoy's face, but he quickly covered it up. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Why should I care about di Angelo's dad?"

Annabeth shot Hermione a confused look. She mouthed 'tell you later' and turned back to Malfoy. "Erm, we want to talk to the Bloody Baron. Can you tell us where he is?"

Hermione never expected Draco Malfoy to do her a favor without something in return, especially when it had the potential to get himself in trouble. But his sad eyes returned, and, tired and defeated, he nodded. "Let me gather my things. I'll let you into the common room."

**_NICO_**

_"Nico!" Hestia exclaimed. "Thank Hecate, he's alive!"_

_A light hand touched his face. "He's weak from exhaustion," Will said. "Give him space! Let him rest."_

_Percy cursed. "We're not meant to leave the Underworld. Lou, Thalia, take him! We'll hold off what's left of them!"_

_"More will come," Blaise agreed. "We can take them. Alabaster did most of the work for us."_

_"They can use Alabaster's death as leverage for Hecate," Lou said, her voice thick with grief. "The Kindly Ones will take his body to Hades."_

_He woke in the back of a limousine. There was a girl asleep across from him; her head bobbed with each bump in the road. He didn't recognize her. And how did he get into this automobile? Where was he?_

_He pulled the window shade up and got blasted with wind. The auto had to be going fifty kilometers an hour, maybe more. The wind on his face was hot._

I'm in the desert.

_The girl woke. She looked around, just as confused as he was. She jumped when her eyes landed on him._

_"We're in a desert," he told her._

_"Which desert?"_

_"I don't know."_

_"Quiet!" a man barked from the driver's seat. "And, Nico, close that window!"_

_Nico was stunned. He didn't realize it until the man said it, but he couldn't remember his name._

_The girl-Bianca, that was his sister, Nico remembered now-reached over his shoulder and closed the window for him. Then, she turned to the man. "Father?"_

_"No," the man snarled. "You have no father. The state sent me. You'll stay in a hotel until... better accommodations open up."_

_"You don't have to be so mean about it," Bianca muttered under her breath. Nico laughed. It felt good; it seemed like he hadn't laughed in a while._

_"I'm hungry," Nico complained. "Is there food?"_

_The man grabbed something from the passenger seat and threw it at him. He caught it midair. "Nice," Bianca said with a smile. Nico took a triumphant bite of the sandwich. But, his moment of glory was shattered when he tasted how terrible the sandwich was. He coughed; mystery meat fell from his mouth and spilled onto the floor of the limousine. Bianca laughed._

_"Meany," Nico told her._

_"S- sorry, it's just-"_

_"Yeah, yeah."_

_"No thank you?" the man spat._

_"Thank you for trying to kill me," Nico said sarcastically. Bianca laughed again. The man gave a sinister smile, like he knew something they didn't. Nico's stomach rolled, but it had nothing to do with rotten meat._

_"Why can't we remember anything?" she asked the man._

_"You were injured when your parents died," he said like he was quoting something. The car stopped suddenly, and Nico and Bianca lurched forward. "We're here."_

_"Would've never guessed," Nico mumbled. Bianca playfully nudged his shoulder. "Come along, mio piccolo angelo. Let's go."_

_She opened the door, and they stepped out into a bustling city. Nico stared at them in awe, how could such a city exist in the middle of a desert?_

_"This way!" The man pointed a crooked finger south. Then, he started walking. Nico and Bianca hesitantly followed._

_"How long will we be in the hotel?" Bianca asked._

_"As long as you need to be," the man snapped._

_"But how long do you think it will be?"_

_The man put on a sickeningly sweet smile. "Now, honey. It's rude to ask questions."_

_Bianca got nervous. Nico got mad. No one talked to his sister like that! But, before he could say anything, a young boy pointed at the man. "What did he say, Mommy?"_

_"I don't know, darling, they're speaking Greek. Away, now." Nico took the tiniest step forward, but the woman gasped like he'd punched her son. She pulled him by the arm, casting him a dirty look. She muttered "Greenhorn," under her breath, and marched away. Nico didn't know what that word meant, but it didn't sound very nice._

_"Here we are," the man said. He pushed Nico and Bianca forward. "Go inside. You're all checked in. Give them the name di Angelo."_

_Nico gulped. He took a look at Bianca; her olive skin was pale from nerves. She craned her neck to look at the top of the skyscraper. It towered over them like a giant. Something set him off, made him worry._

_"Time to go," the man said again, harsher this time. Bianca caught his eye. Her spark of determination gave Nico the confidence he needed to walk through the door._

_They reached the reception desk. "di Angelo?" Bianca said. "We should be... um..."_

_"Yes, of course, Mr. and Miss di Angelo, how are you today?" the receptionist chirped. Nico's whole body relaxed. He smiled; the man was so friendly._

_"Good," Nico said._

_"Now, let me just..." the man opened an enormous book and scanned the list. "Here we are, Bianca and Nico di Angelo... son and daughter of... oh." The man's grin widened. He grabbed a pen and mumbled as he wrote: "November 5th... 1939." He chuckled as he closed the book. "Room 5020. You two got the penthouse suite." He handed them both a key and a plastic card. "Here are your platinum casino membership cards. I doubt you two will be gambling, but it will allow you to access dining and our recreational facilities. We have a twenty-four-hour theater on floor three, for instance..."_

_"Do you have Charlie Chaplin?" Bianca asked. The man nodded. Bianca glowed with happiness. "I love Charlie Chaplin!"_

_"A full list of our facilities will be in your room." The man whistled. Another man in a bellhop uniform joined them._

_"Welcome, Bianca. Welcome, Nico. I've already put your things in your room. Let me show you up."_

_Nico grinned as they entered the elevator. His heart was pounding with excitement. And, even though the bellhop wasn't as handsome as the receptionist, he couldn't stop looking at him. He felt warm, safe, as though he'd been found after that nightmare limousine._

_"Everything is so nice here!" Bianca squealed._

_"I'm glad you like it," the bellhop said. He sounded so pleasant, and yet there was something else in his voice... something sad._

_Before Nico could say anything, the elevator dinged. "Here we are," the bellhop said. He opened the lock with a master key and swung the door open for them._

_"Thank you! We'll see you!" Bianca told him._

_The man smiled sadly. "Today is my last day, then I return home. Enjoy your stay, Bianca. You too, Nico. Let the staff know if you need anything. Promise me?"_

_They nodded vigorously. Bianca stepped into the room. Nico smiled one last time at the bellhop. He squinted at the bellhop's uniform, trying to make out his name tag. The letters swirled and did cartwheels, but, finally, Nico figured it out. "Good-bye... Andrew Devin."_

"He's completely out of it," Lou said. "He keeps mumbling in Ancient Greek, I don't know-"

"I suspect his mind has grown used to Alabaster's psychic link," Chiron deduced. "His body will recover. Nico, my boy, can you hear me?"

"Mmmmm." That was the best he could do in his current state.

A soft hand reached out to touch him. "Are you sure about this, Rachel?" Sally asked. "I can't lose my son."

"I am," Rachel said. "Clovis has been helping me confer with Delphi's spirit. The gods have no idea where to find Nico. There's some kind of spell around him, I don't know what, but it's enough to protect him."

The door creaked again. "We have to go," Thalia said. "Lou, Mr. Dare's helicopter is here. With Lady Artemis's blessing of speed, we should be in Vegas in an hour." Thalia paused. "We'll send you and Paul a message when we arrive, Ms. Jackson. I promise we'll protect Nico from my dad."

"Wait!" Chiron said. "Take him to Hestia. She will be able to strengthen young Alabaster's blessing with a protection spell of her own. I suspect she'll do it—Nico has always been kind to her."

Sally stroked his cheek. "It's time to wake up now, Nico. And make sure you get yourself home in one piece."

**_HERMIONE_**

"Nigellus," Malfoy said to the dungeon wall. It opened to reveal the empty Slytherin common room. He led them through the green-tinted hallway of the men's dormitory. "There's an empty room at the end of the hall," Malfoy explained. "When the Bloody Baron's not in the Astronomy tower, he's usually in there. He likes the dungeons."

They turned into a corridor. The dark green air stank of seaweed. They had to be directly under the lake. It was dark and misty, made of bare stone walls. It made Hermione depressed. She couldn't imagine spending so much time in such a dusty dungeon.

Like Malfoy promised, the Bloody Baron stood in the corner, his back to them. His translucent skin was covered in bright red blood, so vibrant it didn't look real. Chains wrapped around his body, reminiscent of Marley's chains from _A Christmas Carol_.

"Baron?" Draco asked. His voice echoed around the room. "My- my friends need to talk to you."

The was no answer. Annabeth cleared her throat, and said, "It's about the war."

The Bloody Baron laughed, a deep booming laugh unfitting of a translucent being. "Why should I interfere with the war? Did you not see what happened to the ghosts who fought with Angelos?"

"We don't need you to fight," Hermione urged. "We need to speak to Slytherin. You're the only one who might know where he is."

"Wait!" Malfoy cried. "What are you talking about? How could Slytherin do anything? He's dead!"

Hermione did her best to smile at him, which was hard with the Bloody Baron's sinister presence right in front of her. "Hecate is real, Draco. Morgan le Fay's the myth. Those rumors that Merlin became a god when he died? That's true. I met him. And Slytherin's a god too."

"And- and there's another war?" Malfoy asked. He was beyond pale.

"Hecate and Merlin are fighting Hades, the Lord of the Dead."

Malfoy tried to laugh in disbelief, but it came out as a breathy whimper. "That's di Angelo's real dad. Not You-Know-Who. That's why di Angelo could do all those things no one else could."

"Nico came here on a mission from Hades," Annabeth finished for her. "Tom Marvolo Riddle, or Lord Voldemort, as you guys call him, cheated death one too many times. Nico hunted him down and killed him last year."

Malfoy blinked. "di Angelo killed my parents, didn't he?"

"No," Annabeth assured him. "But, the Furies, servants of Dad, killed them for their crimes. They rejoined Riddle when he rose again and helped him to defy the afterlife. I'm sorry."

"No..." Malfoy whispered. "If the gods passed judgment, there was nothing anyone could do."

"Very wise," the Bloody Baron said. "Will you three follow his example? Slytherin will not help you. He chooses to sit out the war, unlike the other Founders of Hogwarts."

"He's in hiding," Hermione realized. "That's why Merlin sent Ron and I to find the Stone. He doesn't know where his son is."

"You want the Stone?" the Baron questioned. "Go home, Hermione Granger. Your quest is futile. Even if I were to tell you where Slytherin is, he would never give you his most prized possession."

"Even if it was to rebuild the Wizarding World?!" Ron protested. "This is his world too! He can't turn his back on it!"

The Bloody Baron finally turned. Hermione expected him to be fuming. She was sure she'd blown it, blown their only chance to save everyone.

But, when he turned around, his eyes fixed on Cho. Cho tried not to react, but a tiny, terrified gasp escaped her. The Baron looked from her to Hermione with a sinister smile. "Merlin sent you, you said?" Hermione carefully nodded. Something wasn't right. Why did he sound so... amused? The Baron knew something she didn't, and she didn't like it one bit.

"Salazar Slytherin guards the Philosopher's Stone at Loch Arthur. Go at your own risk, heroes."

"Loch Arthur..." Hermione thought allowed. That sounded familiar... "Oh!" she cried. "I read about that after the demigods left! I was doing research into the gods and the Arthurian legend... it's a lake in western Scotland, rumored to be the lake from King Arthur."

"Arthur," the Bloody Baron mused. "A thousand years corrupts the name 'Salazar' into 'Arthur.' This world continues to bewilder me."

Hermione thought learning where the Stone is would be a happy moment, but all she felt was sad and confused. And judging by the crying Malfoy and ghostly Cho standing beside her, she wasn't the only one.

"It's time to go," she said quietly.

**_THALIA_**

Like Chiron said, Hestia restored Nico's strength as best she could, then put a protective spell on them all at Nico's request. "You'll keep your minds in the Lotus now," she'd promised them. "You will find your way home." Grover led the satyrs in some woodland magic to disguise the helicopter a bit more, then they went on their way. With Lady Artemis's blessing, still holding from their journey to New Arcadia, they reached Las Vegas in less than an hour. The Dare's pilot landed them on the nearest helicopter pad, a few miles from the Lotus Hotel and Casino.

Nico never fell asleep, but he was out of it for most of the helicopter flight. There was an odd look in his eyes the entire way; they looked as old as he really was, ninety-year-old eyes in a seventeen-year-old's body.

"I still can't believe he's dead," Lou sniffed.

Thalia couldn't either. How was Alabaster, the crafty son of Hecate who'd journeyed to New Arcadia with her, gone? Alabaster, who fought beside her, stood up for her Hunters, negotiated with Ceres, and had some odd feelings about a fish? She'd come to care about him the same way she cared about any of her other friends. When you face life and death together constantly, you grow close.

"He sacrificed himself for me," Nico croaked. "His last words were, 'You saved me, Nico. Now, let me pay my debt. Be a hero for once.' He knew he was going to the Fields of Punishment, but he didn't care. He died a hero."

"That's what it is," Lou realized. "Alabaster died for Nico. His love shield, his blood sacrifice, it's enough to hide him, even from the gods, even more than Hestia's protection. It's powerful magic"

"Great," Nico said coldly. "Let's get the godsdamn Artifacts, stop this war, and let me get back to junior fucking year at Goode."

"Sounds like a plan," Thalia deadpanned. No one laughed. She didn't expect them to.

They hailed a cab. "Two-twenty Convention Center Drive, corner of Kishner," Nico told the driver. "I'll pay triple your normal rate. Just get us there fast." Needless to say, they would get there in no time... as long as they didn't get in a car chase with a cop for how badly they were speeding. Long after three of them had turned a dark shade of green, the driver finally pulled over on the corner of Kishner and Convention Center. Nico pulled a credit card from his jacket pocket. When he swiped it, Thalia realized it was a double-diamond Lotus cash card.

"You kept that?" Lou asked as they climbed out of the cab.

"It's a credit card that literally never runs out. Of course I kept it," Nico said.

"Can't argue with that," Lou said.

"I can," Thalia replied. "I remember when Zoë brought Las Vegas up to Bianca. She was horrified by the place."

"My life is nothing but bad memories," Nico said, a dark look in his eyes. "Even Italy is just a bunch of bad memories now. I don't want to be back here, but I'll take what good fortune I can get." He stared at the card with a hypnotic look in his eyes. "And the Lotus wasn't all bad, in fact, it wasn't bad at all... pretty great, actually..."

"Nico?" Thalia asked fearfully. He looked up at her, back to normal. He didn't seem to notice what just happened.

"We're here," Lou announced. "Hestia's spell will keep us from getting trapped inside." She didn't sound sure. Thalia was shaking herself.

"Let's go, guys," Nico said, staring with wonder at the doors of the Lotus. Thalia and Lou exchanged a worried look. Even though they'd only taken their eyes off him for a second, when they focused their attention, Nico was already dashing into the hotel. "Nico!" they shouted together.

"Come on!" Nico shouted back. "Let's get in, grab them, and get out!"

They dashed after him, through the open doorway and into a sweet-smelling lobby. It was a giant game room, casino, and indoor water park all wrapped into one. Nico stood in the doorway, staring at the lobby. Thalia reached for his shoulder, but when she touched him, she felt a shock go through her body. Instead of a giant game room, she saw a glitzy ballroom with an expensive chandelier on the roof. Men smoked cigars and whistled at waitresses as they carried plates of food. There was a giant bar filled with every kind of beer, wine, liquor, and cocktail imaginable, as well as soda, coffee, tea, you name it. A live band played music, an old jazz tune. A fifty-foot projector screen showed black-and-white Mickey Mouse cartoons. A directory was plastered on the wall, pointing to rec rooms, casinos, pools, stage theaters, nickelodeon movie theaters, etc.

Thalia blinked, and the image was gone. At the exact same time, Nico collapsed. Instinctively, Thalia caught him.

The doorman ran to them. "Is everything okay, kids?" he inquired. "If your friend is ill, we have a fully-licensed hospital wing on floor-

"I'm fine, Henry," Nico croaked. He stood and looked around, taking the room in.

The doorman studied Nico. "Mr. di Angelo..." he realized. "My, you've grown!"

"People do that," Nico said dryly. "Is 5020 still open?"

"Of course!" Henry said. "I'll send fresh clothes up immediately. Head to the elevator, and enjoy your stay!"

"You know his name?" Lou asked.

Nico nodded. "He's a Lotus Eater. Before we had electronics, the staff were the ones that hypnotized us. But Bianca and I had each other; talking to someone real kept us human." He looked around wistfully. "Papà would never send us here without protection."

_He was in here for seventy years. If this place is an addiction, Nico's an old-time alcoholic walking into a bar run by Mr. D. _

"Now, come on. I'm going to get some fresh clothes on, then we're going to tear this place apart."

_I really hope you mean, "to look for the Artifacts," Nico._

**END NOTES**

Credits:  
Author: Melody Rose (Tumblr melody0rose)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!

**COMMENTS**

**ShadeFireDragon**

_Genevieve? A god/goddess? *le gasp* Also, wow, Lou Ellen being the helicopter parent XD I think, anyway. Nevertheless, it's nice to see her care for her half brother :)_

Yes indeed! Who, you may ask? You'll find out soon enough. I love Lou Ellen the parent too. I think she'd be very protective of Alabaster because of all he's gone through.

**The Goode Ravenclaw**

_that got dark real quick... (it was always dark but DAMN) I... I honestly don't know what to say to that but DAMN. poor Percy though. he finally gets redemption and boom ded_

Unrest begins with a martyr. It was hard for me to kill Percy Weasley off, but I can also look at it as his final redemption. He went from denying the truth to dying for it. There's no nobler way to go, and he is, at the end of the day, a Gryffindor.

_I honestly love this chapter so much. (well I live every chapter, but still...) I'm a little confused on who is on who's side on the demigod side of things, but I love the wizard side. I want to give Cho a big hug! I wonder if gweniveve (idk how to spell) has to relate to like gweniveve from like the story of King Arthur and Merlin and if she made the whole thing up and is working with Merlin. and what I meant by out of nowhere it that comment is just how original it was and I don't even know how you would think of that, it being so unique. I really enjoy it though and it was very well-writtenvand you a really good job with it_

Hahaha thanks. And I will say that the confusion of who's on whose side is 100% intentional. All you really need to know is Zeus supports Hecate, Juno supports Hades, Merlin is Hecate's husband, Persephone is Hades' wife, and both Hades and Hecate are trying to get Athena and/or Mars to join their side, because both war gods are currently neutral. Bellona, Mars's wife/sister is currently on Hecate's side, which makes it more likely that Mars will join her as well.

I will say that Genevieve is in no way connected to the arthurian legend. I chose the name for a different reason, one I will reveal once her identity is revealed. And okay, that makes sense. Honestly, I don't remember how I came up with it? I knew I was going to kill Cho off, and then I ended up writing that she was at Charon's ferry on a whim, and somehow I got to the imprisonment thing. That's also how I came up with the twist in the first fic too. I realized that everything after "Dammit Harry" had a major, major plot hole in it and also... sucked. So, I deleted all those chapters and rewrote everything. When I got to Percy's dream, I knew he had to find out Nico had disappeared, but I just found myself writing that line about how Hades accuses Hecate of killing her son. And the war just bloomed from there. I went back and added some foreshadowing in the earlier chapters, and voila, war.

_I ******-ing for like the whole chapter. I have one thing that I realized. Il Duce referred to Nico as an atomic bomb, but the idea of the atomic bomb wasn't even created in 1936. I love the flashback so much!_

_oh yeah, and one of my friends said since the one before this is "the coming of Nico di Angelo" this book should be called "the pregnancy of Will Solace"... I give up on her_

I'm glad you like that chapter! The Mussolini chapter I think is my favorite one in this fic. The chapter where Al dies is a close second, though. I used the atmoic bomb reference because I thought it was a cool line, but it doesn't have any meaning beyond that, at least, not intentionally. And I love your friend XD. That's the second comment I've gotten making a joke about the title and I love it.


	30. Bianca the Bathroom Hog

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

Hermione's suspicious of Cho. Nico, Lou Ellen, and Thalia search for the Artifacts of Thanatos. Percy, Will, Blaise, and Hestia are captured by Persephone.

**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: General Audiences  
Content Warning: Cursing, Graphic Depictions of Violence  
Word Count: 4364

And all the characters are owned by J.K. Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_NICO_**

The Lotus terrified Nico.

There were moments when he felt blissful, at peace. He knew it was the Lotus's doing, but he couldn't help it. This was a part of his past, one of the few good parts of his past. That was the thing about addictions. No matter how bad the consequences, a part of you always remembers the high fondly. He should know-his self-harm wasn't all that different than turning to drugs or drink. Same dependence, and almost impossible to stop.

But when those good moments passed, fear settled in again. What if Hestia's blessing didn't work, and he walked outside to find the world in ruins, and another seventy years had gone by? What if he lost his parents again, his sister again, his brother? Or, what if he gave into the hotel and stayed forever? He'd never make Alabaster's death mean something, nor tell his father how sorry he was. He'd never see Will or any of his friends ever again, but he wouldn't even care.

He stood in that elevator where "Andrew Devin" wished him farewell, and rode to the fiftieth floor. Lou and Thalia followed him to room 5020. Nico rested his hand on the doorknob, filled with trepidation.

_You can do this. _

He took a deep breath and opened the door.

The room was the size of his villa's library back home. It had two king-sized beds separated by a nightstand still piled high with Nico's comic books. A large door to Nico's left led to his/her bathrooms and closets. To his right was a plasma TV filled with console video games, a lounge area, and a fridge and pantry filled with snacks. Another door led to the balcony and hot tub.

Just for a second, when Nico's eyes grazed the bookshelf filled to the brim with Bianca's mystery novels, he saw his sister in a 1940's dress thumbing through _the Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes. _Bianca looked up at him and laughed; the pleasant noise echoed through the room.

Nico closed his eyes tight and rubbed his temples. When he opened his eyes, his sister was gone.

Nico dashed into the closet before Lou or Thalia could ask any questions. His shoulder wound was too healed to reopen without his sword (which he'd accidentally left in the main room), so Nico dug his nails into his arm as he cried. He didn't bleed, but he did bruise, which was enough to dull the pain. Guilt washed over him. That was the third time he'd given in after months without cutting. What was happening to him?

He threw on a new black shirt and black jeans, put his aviator's jacket and sword belt back on, and rejoined Lou and Thalia. "Let's go," he said, more confident than he felt.

Nico made sure to grab his sword on his way out.

"Where are we going?" Thalia asked as Nico led them down the hallway.

"Basement," Nico said, "we weren't allowed down there, which means that's probably the Lotus Eaters' base of operations. If I were Persephone, I'd put it in the heart of the hotel with those monsters to protect it."

"That's going to be dangerous," Lou warned.

"When is anything not dangerous for us?" Thalia asked.

Nico led them to an old, rickety staircase marked "Do Not Enter." Thalia picked the lock easily, and the door swung open. "Are you ready to climb down fifty flights of stairs?" Nico asked them.

"Fuck my life," Thalia groaned.

Twenty minutes later, they reached the door marked "basement." Thalia reached to pick the lock again, but, when her fingers touched the doorknob, she spasmed like she'd been electrocuted and crumbled to the ground, a grin on her face.

Lou gasped. "Thalia?!"

Nico cursed. "It's no use. I should've realized they'd protect it."

Lou examined her body. "She's still alive, just comatose."

Nico breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't ready to lose another friend. "Stay with her. I'll go in."

Lou shook her head. "No way. It's too dangerous."

"We can't lose another child of Hecate," Nico snapped. "The Artifacts are right through that door, I can feel it. And how long do we have before Athena and Mars pick a side? I know you were talking to Rachel."

"Hours," Lou whispered. "Bellona already chose Hecate. Athena's best friend Nike chose Hades."

"Exactly," Nico said. "We need you, you're the only one who can tell us what's going on on Olympus. I can do this."

Lou grabbed him and wrapped him in a hug. "You'll have to kill all the Lotus Eaters. It'll destroy the spell and save Thalia and everyone else trapped in the hotel."

"Okay." Nico pulled away and faced the doorknob. His shadow grabbed the shadow of the doorknob and twisted it, and the door swung open. "Wish me luck."

The basement was made of white walls and white tile, like a science laboratory in a community college. Hot, muggy, pink fog floated around the room, making Nico's eyes heavy. Without Hestia's blessing, he'd be on the ground like Thalia, never to wake again.

Even with the fog, his senses were on overdrive. The Artifacts were so close. If only he could-

"_What do we have here? _" a voice whispered in his mind. "_An intruder? _"

"Show yourself!"

The voice laughed. "As you wish, Nico di Angelo." A silhouette in a gas mask appeared before him. Nico drew his sword. He stepped towards the silhouette, ready to strike when the pink fog forced its way up his nose. Nico coughed, trying to get whatever it was out of his lungs, but it was no use. His head shot up like Thalia's, and he felt his eyes roll into the back of his head.

**_RON_**

Malfoy ushered the rest of them away from the Bloody Baron in silence. "What now?" Malfoy asked her.

"We go to Loch Arthur," Annabeth replied. "You've been a huge help, Draco, thank you."

Malfoy looked at the ground. "Will- will that count for something? That I'm helping, will, erm, will my parents be... I dunno, safe?"

Annabeth touched his arm in a comforting sort of way. "Malfoy, it takes a lot to get thrown in the Fields of Punishment. They paid for their crimes already; the only one who's going to suffer eternally is Riddle himself." Malfoy didn't seem to believe her. "I'll tell you what-when our quest is over, I'll ask Hazel to find out, as a thank you for helping us."

"Everything's fallen to shit outside of Hogwarts. I'll help when I can."

That's when they heard footsteps approaching.

"The other Slytherins can't know I brought outsiders in here," Malfoy said quickly. "This way!" The four of them ran through the corridor until they reached a statue of a dragon on a stone pedestal. "Verbum secretum," Malfoy whispered. The dragon and pedestal sunk into the ground, revealing a tunnel half-filled with water. "You'll have to swim," he told them. "Don't worry, there's air all the way. But it's pitch black, and there are rocks all around. Be careful."

"We will," Hermione promised.

Malfoy glanced behind him. The footsteps were getting closer. "Ron, send an owl to McGonagall, tell him to get the refugees to Hogwarts. McGonagall won't turn them away. I'll organize everything myself if I have to."

"Malfoy-" Ron began, but he didn't let him finish.

"Half the country is fighting in Percy Weasley's name. If his brother tells them to come here, they'll come. Please, Weasley-I don't want anyone else's parents to die."

Ron was torn. How could they organize such a thing when two-thirds of the Wizarding World was in chaos, without radio, without newspapers. They all had their hands full keeping Hades and Hecate's forces at bay, how could they organize a country-wide refugee camp on top of it all? Would such a thing matter if Hades finally broke their defenses and slaughtered every last witch and wizard?

"We'll tell them," Cho declared before Ron could open his mouth. She sounded like a whole different person than a few minutes ago when she was frozen at the sight of the Bloody Baron.

"Go!" Malfoy urged. Annabeth dove into the freezing water; the rest of them were close behind. The dragon rose once again, blocking out all light. It was pitch black; Hermione couldn't see her hand in front of her face.

"Lumos," Hermione, Ron, and Cho cast in unison.

They made their way through the meandering tunnel. When Ron's lips were blue with cold and lungs hurt from gasping the dusty, freezing air, beams of light shone through a crack in the rocks. Annabeth grabbed either side and pulled herself through the small hole as though she was doing a chin-up. With her help (the rest of them didn't have the upper body strength of a trained demigod) they found themselves standing in the backyard of the Shrieking Shack.

"Bloody hell," Ron heaved between chattering teeth.

"Dry us with magic, then we'll go inside, make a fire and decide what to do next," Annabeth told them. She didn't seem bothered at all by the cold. Ron guessed Camp Half-Blood had trained her for severe weather conditions like this.

It didn't take long to find firewood. With so many buildings in ruins, wooden planks were a dime a dozen. The Shrieking Shack didn't have a fireplace, so they made a campfire in the center of the room. Annabeth passed around some snacks, and, soon, Ron's strength returned.

"I don't suppose you could apparate us to Loch Arthur?" Hermione asked Cho.

She shook her head. "I've never been there before. You have to visualize the place you're going to to apparate. I don't know what it looks like."

"We'll have to walk, then," Hermione said miserably.

Annabeth shook her head. "Not in this weather. Walking so many miles in the freezing December cold isn't a good idea."

"Then what?" Ron asked.

No one, not even Annabeth, had any idea what to do.

Ron woke to Hermione standing over him. "We need to talk," she whispered. "Annabeth's waiting outside. Come on."

She looked so serious that Ron didn't dare argue. The two of them silently made their way outside.

"Well?" Annabeth asked Hermione.

"I don't trust Cho," Hermione said. "Something's not right with her. She knows too much about the gods to've learned about them this morning at King's Cross. And I know she's hiding something."

Annabeth pursed her lips. "I think you're right, Hermione. But there's nothing we can do; the prophecy is clear-she's the final member of our quest. We all have to keep an eye on her, and make sure that whatever it is, it doesn't interfere with the quest. Once all this is over, I can get whatever it is out of her. We were good friends when I went to Hogwarts. She'll listen to me."

"Let's all try to get some sleep," Ron said. "If we're all exhausted tomorrow, Cho will know something's up."

No one seemed to like that plan, but Annabeth was right. The Fates said Cho would replace Percy, and no one could go against the Fates.

**_NICO_**

"Fuck finals, fuck finals, fuck them, fuck them, fuck them," Nico muttered under his breath as he poured milk into some cornflakes. "Fuck snow, fuck finals, fuck everything."

Of course a blizzard had to hit New York the final day before winter break, rendering schools closed and bumping his English Composition final to January 3rd. Instead of catching up with Percy, Will, Alabaster, Annabeth, and everyone else coming over for the holidays, he'd be in his room. Having a school-induced breakdown.

"Did your cereal try to attack you?" Dad asked, chuckling as he watched Nico stab his breakfast with a tablespoon.

"Snow day today. I'm gonna spend the whole break studying for English Comp-and by studying I mean throwing my notes at the wall and debating if a withdrawal-fail is better than an F."

Dad chuckled again and ruffled Nico's hair as he crossed to the coffee pot and poured two cups. "Your mom and I can help you, you know." He mixed some milk and sugar in one and passed it to Nico. "She just so happens to be a writer. And, I was a pretty good English teacher way back when."

Dad sat opposite Nico at the table and took a long slurp, eyeing Nico with a humorous glint.

Nico rolled his eyes. "It's not something I can really study for," Nico explained, "It's just reading some passage Miss Borieo digs up and writing about the 'rhetorical devices' in it. Even if I manage to memorize all the different types... you know I won't be able to write a decent essay in ninety minutes! I just wanted to get this over with and get ready for the party tonight. Is that too much to ask?!"

"Here-" Dad checked his watch. "Percy should be home from Camp Half-blood with your friends around three, give or take traffic, and the California and England flights should be in by one unless something got delayed. So... I'd bank on four o'clock as the final deadline for the party. It's almost ten. Make sure you're dressed in a half-hour, okay? I'll help you with the final."

"It's no use, I'm gonna fail."

"Humor me, then."

Nico let out a long, fake, sarcastic sigh. "Fiiiiiine. Ten-thirty it is."

Nico finished the last of his cornflakes as Dad read the newspaper. Something was bugging him. Something wasn't right.

He squinted at the newspaper. Dad lowered it and looked over the top with confusion. "Is something wrong, Nico?"

"December 18th," Nico whispered. Something was bugging him... what was it?

"Nico?" Nico turned. Bianca was there, wrapped in a towel. "I'm out of the shower. You can go in now."

Nico snorted. "You've been in there almost two hours. And you're not even dressed."

"Dad!" Bianca cried indignantly.

"I'm sorry, Bianca, but it's true," Dad commented, his eyes back on his paper. "Nico, get dressed and gather your things. Ten-thirty, remember?"

Nico shoulder-checked Bianca on his way into his room. When he got there, his computer lit up.

_FaceTime Call: Matt O'Harris _

"Shit," Nico said. He completely forgot about their weekly catch-up. He quickly pressed the green button, and Matt's face lit up the screen. "Can't talk long, Matt. Also I'm going off-screen to change." Nico took off his pajama shirt. "What's up?"

"School's out. Which is good, 'cause tomorrow I go home, and I'm not even packed."

Nico snorted. "You really leave everything to the last minute, don't you?"

"Oh, like you can talk."

Nico laughed. But, again, something felt off. He looked down and saw an ornate necklace that had been hiding under his shirt. Where had...

_"To remind you and protect you, brother."_

Macaria.

"Matt..." he realized. "Matt, I don't know you."

"What are you talking about, Nico?" Matt asked. "We've been best friends since we were ten-years-old. You roomed with me at Westover Hall. Of course we know each other."

"No..." Nico whispered. "This isn't right. I haven't talked to you in years. And it's already past Christmas. And Bianca... Bianca died a long time ago. This isn't real." Nico looked around him at his and Percy's bedroom. "This isn't real. Zeus destroyed the apartment. This isn't real."

Someone threw the door open. Paul stood there, his eyes a vibrant pink. Beside him stood Bianca with the same pink eyes. "_ Get him! _" Paul hissed with a voice that wasn't his own.

Nico grabbed his computer and threw it at the window. The window shattered, and he jumped onto the fire escape. The stairs were too slow, so he grabbed onto the railing and slid down the banister. Paul and Bianca thundered down the steps behind him, hissing "Get him! Get him!"

Nico jumped the rest of the way onto the asphalt and ducked into the nearest alleyway.

_How do I get out of here? _

Percy appeared at the end of the alleyway, his eyes just as vibrant pink. "_ Go home, my brother, _" he hissed.

Nico drew his sword, but he was close to tears. "Don't make me fight you."

Percy drew Riptide. With a scream, he charged at Nico. Nico tried to dodge, but Percy was too fast. He slashed Nico's stomach, not deep enough to kill, but enough for a mixture of pleasure and pain to distract him. Percy thrust again and skewered Nico straight through the heart. Nico coughed up blood as darkness began to close in...

Lou Ellen appeared in the alleyway. She threw something through the air. Percy tried to grab it, but it was too high. With his dying breath, Nico caught it.

The Staff of Thanatos, with the Orb fastened right on top.

His wound closed immediately. He stood, back in the basement of the Lotus Hotel and Casino. "And now, you die!" Nico shouted. He raised the Staff in the air. Shadows melted from the walls and grabbed every silhouette in the distance. A thousand voices screamed in unison. There was a crash, and sirens began to blare. Water from the fire sprinkler system went off, dousing the room. The pink fog cleared. The white hallway was barren.

Nico laughed in relief. But his laugh turned into a gasp. Suddenly, he couldn't breathe. Instead of ringing in his ears, he heard the sound of the River Lethe; inaudible whispers from his past grew louder and louder until it was overpowering. He dropped the Staff and fell to the ground. "Nico!" Lou screamed.

_Rachel's head snapped up. He looked at her with crazed eyes, unfocused, like she was staring through a kaleidoscope. Nico had to hold himself back from throwing up for the second time that day._

_Rachel shouldn't look like that. She shouldn't look like May Castellan._

_"The river consumes you!"_

_"Rachel, snap out of it!" Nico shouted. He tried to pull her away from him, but she wouldn't budge._

_"Beware the river! Beware!"_

_"I never told you Elladora's warning," Alabaster said, his eyes on the advancing army. "I thought it was impossible, but now that you're going to the Lotus... she said, 'The Lethe consumes him.' "_

With his last ounce of energy, Nico tried to fight the pull of the river's whispers. But they grew louder and louder until they were overpowering. Memories leaked from his mind like sand in a sieve. Then, it all went silent. Nico felt himself sink into the Earth, guided by a force too powerful to resist.

**_PERCY_**

They couldn't fight off the second wave of monsters. Not without Alabaster, Nico, Thalia, and Lou Ellen to help them. No matter how many monsters Percy turned to dust, it wasn't enough.

The Furies held Percy, Will, Blaise, and Hestia down. They struggled, but it was no use. The Furies were too strong.

Persephone smiled as she inspected her new prisoners. "A child of Apollo?" She lightly touched Will's cheek. "Apollo will pledge himself to us tonight; we don't want to turn him away. This one will be our guest. The rest we will present to Hades as prisoners."

Persephone melted into the ground. The rest of them flew back to Hades' Palace in the Furies' talons.

When they landed in front of the palace, Alecto squawked "Walk," and the Furies dragged them into the palace. They walked down a familiar hallway.

_We're going to the throne room. _

Of all the things Percy expected to find when he landed reached the throne room, this wasn't one of them.

The first thing he heard was Persephone's scream. "Please, my lord, forgive me!"

She looked nothing like she had only a moment ago. She was on her hands and knees in front of Hades, tears streaming down her face. They were both normal sized, but that didn't do much to ease Percy's nerves.

"You went behind my back!" Hades screamed. "Look at the mess you've caused! If you had given me the Artifacts when I asked for them-"

"Forgive me!" Persephone screamed. "If I had known-"

Hades screamed. The room shook so violently Percy knew skyscrapers would fall in Los Angeles above them. Persephone went silent.

That's when Nico melted from the shadows.

Nico crumpled when he hit the ground. Hades' eyes darkened. "Who let this traitor in my court?!" Hades shouted, furious. He turned away from Persephone. He summoned his staff and screamed again, purple fire burning in his eyes. "Is this your rescue attempt, traitor? Arrogant hero. I swore if I ever saw you again—"

"Nico! No!" Percy screamed. His little brother was about to die, and there was nothing he could do about it... he would be forced to watch Hades kill his own son...

"Papà..." Nico whispered. His voice was so small it was almost inaudible. His Italian accent was even stronger than it had been when he came out of the River Mnemosyne. He looked up at Hades with an infant's eyes. He ran into Hades' chest, wrapping his arms around him like a small child.

The anger melted off of Hades face. "Nico...?" The moment his eyes met Nico's, his body seized up. He flinched and grabbed his son desperately, terrified.

"**_Tell me what to do,_**" Hades asked him desperately in Ancient Greek. "**_What do you need, Nico__?_**" Nico said nothing. Hades shook him. "**_Nico, Nico! What do you need? Tell me!_**" Hades put his hand to Nico's cheek. "_**It isn't time for you to grow up yet, Nico. Tell me what you need, and I'll give it to you.**_"

"**_I__'m hot, Papà..._**" Nico whimpered.

"**_I'll open a window._**"

"**_I'm tired, Papà._**"

"**_Then I'll take you home._**" Nico started to collapse. Hades shook him again, crying out, "**_I'll take you home! To Mamma and Bianca. Would you like that, Nico?_**"

"**_I want Papà._**"

"**_I'm here, Nico._**"

"**_I want Papà._**"

"**_I'm right here._**"

Nico looked up at him, smiling. "**_I'm home_.**"

Nico collapsed in Hades' arms. "No! NO!" Hades screamed. He put both hands on either side of Nico's face and stared into his eyes. He murmured in a language so ancient it wouldn't translate in Percy's mind. He didn't blink, he didn't move.

"My lord?" Persephone asked quietly. Hades clenched his teeth as he continued to chant. Persephone stood, alarmed. "Hades!" She cried, shocked. He continued to chant. "Hades! Please! No!" The room got uncomfortably warm. Hades began to shake, but he kept going, kept chanting.

But it couldn't go on forever. Hades gasped and blinked; all the color drained from Nico's skin. "Nico!" Percy screamed, fighting against Alecto's talons. He had to get to his brother... he couldn't be dead, he couldn't be dead!

"That was my son." Hades stared blankly at the boy in his arms. "That was my _son_. How was that my son?" His head snapped up. He glared at Alecto, the purple fire in his eyes at full force again. "You disobeyed my orders!" he screamed. "I told you to bathe him in the Lethe!"

"I did, my lord!" Alecto squacked. It was the first time Percy ever heard her afraid.

"That was my _son_!" Hades shouted again.

"I swear, my lord, I did as you asked! On the Styx, I swear!"

Hades screamed. He pointed his staff at the Furies, and the three of them burst into dust. Before Percy could run to Nico, thick vines wrapped around him, Will, Blaise, and Hestia, and pulled them to the ground.

"I tried to warn you, Father," came a timid voice. Macaria walked into the throne room. She gingerly reached under Nico's shirt and revealed the necklace she'd given him. "I marked him. Mother should've seen this when he visited her."

"He hid it from me," Persephone whispered. But it didn't matter, Hades didn't have attention for anything but his son.

Percy remembered Bob-Iapetus, a Titan who's memories and personality was washed away in the River Lethe. How had Percy never seen this before? How did Nico remember his past so well? How could he even remember his name if he was bathed in the Lethe?

"It didn't work," Will said. "He knew who he was, and his past, he knew Italian. He thought it was because he was a child of the Underworld, that the Lethe didn't work on him completely."

"No child of the Underworld has ever been bathed in the river alive," Persephone told them. "Its waters are powerful. If it could not take his mind..." she couldn't finish her sentence. Her voice faded to a horrified whisper "His soul was fighting, and I trapped in the River of Memory..."

"Bring him back," Percy begged Macaria. "You're the goddess of fading, you have to bring him back."

She shook her head. "The waters of the Lethe have consumed him. I cannot stop it."

"This is my fault," Hades realized. "I took the ichor from his blood. His demigod status kept the Lethe at bay. I made him human. I as good as reaped his soul." Hades lifted his son in his arms. "Let them go, Persephone."

"My lord-"

"Let them go!" The vines rescinded. Hades met Percy's eye. "The Lethe will consume him. He has hours at the most. He will fade, wiped from the Earth. His soul won't reach the Underworld or be reborn. Find a way to save him. Fail, and you will never see the sun again."

Percy didn't have it in himself to be angry. He walked up to Nico and took his hand. "I'll come back for you. I promise."

Undead warriors forced the three of them out of the room. "We'll save him," Hestia assured them.

"I'm not so sure," Will whispered. "Remember the prophecy: 'A parent's mistake leads to a deadly fight.' Tears fell from Will's eyes. "Nico's as good as dead."

**END NOTES**

Body Count: 7

This week's beta commentary:  
STORY: Athena's best friend Nike  
OLY: currently dying at the idea that the gods have friends XD but nike is a great choice  
LISSY: This is actually from a really terrible play based on the Perseus myth I did at a community theatre when I was in middle school. Athena, Nike (the spirit of VICTORY!) and a "wise-cracking Hermes" (aka teenage angst Hermes) were following Perseus around.

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)  
Oli - Beta Reader (Tumblr paradoxicalpsychic)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!


	31. Please Give Them Their Children Back

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

Hecate and Hades deal with the loss of their children.

**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: Teen and Up Audiences  
Content Warning: Graphic Depictions of Violence  
Word Count: 2994

This is the last one for today.

And all the characters are owned by J.K. Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_PERCY_**

No one knew how to go on without Nico. He was their ringleader, the one who always knew what to do and where to go. How could they navigate the Underworld without him? And, hell, how could they stop the war without him? If Rachel was right and this quest would follow the same pattern as last year's, Nico should've been the one to end the madness. But he couldn't. He was dead.

It wasn't fair. Percy had never felt so hopeless in his life. His brother was dead, his fiancée was thousands of miles away, he was lost in the Underworld with the end of the world looming over his head. He was supposed to be the leader, the pride of Camp Half-Blood, the one who saved Olympus again and again. Will, Blaise, and Hestia kept looking to him for guidance, but he had nothing. And he could barely think straight through his grief.

The four of them walked until they were ready to drop. No one wanted to be anywhere near the palace after Hades' threat to keep them in the Underworld forever.

When none of them could take another step, they made camp, ate what little they had left, and settled down to sleep. Percy pushed down his tears; there was a time to cry, and now wasn't it. He had to be strong for the others, especially Will, who hadn't said a word since "Nico's dead." Percy closed his eyes, focused on the crackling fire, and said a silent prayer to Poseidon:

_Dad, if you can hear me, tell me what to do to save my brother. _

When he fell asleep, he was back in the Palace of Hades, standing with Macaria outside a closed door. With a shaking hand, the goddess of blessed death turned the knob and entered the room. When the door opened, Percy discovered with she was so afraid. At the far end of the room sat a king-sized bed. In the bed lay Nico. At his side was Hades.

"Father," Macaria called.

"What are you doing here?" Hades didn't bother to look up.

Macaria didn't answer. She made her way to Hades, a sad smile on her face. Her eyes sparkled with tears. "You've kept it the same," she said.

"It's his room. He can keep it as he likes."

She sat beside her father. "He hasn't been in here since Kronos was destroyed."

"I suppose I hoped he would come back. And, after he renounced me, I... well, I couldn't bring myself to look at this place." Hades stroked Nico's hair with a tender hand. "I should have told him he was wanted. Maybe things would've been different."

Macaria took his hand, but even she, his beloved daughter, pull Hades from his grief. Percy took advantage of the silence to explore Nico's room. It was big enough to fit their apartment plus some. Lived in, messy. Macaria was right, Hades hadn't changed a thing, not even cleaned. The room served as a time capsule of eleven-slash-twelve-year-old Nico, the one that spent more time with the dead than the living, who tried so hard to be creepy and intimidating so he wouldn't get attached to anyone else. And it worked. He'd creeped Percy out so much that he'd never thought of befriending him. He'd gotten a glance at the real tween Nico at his fifteenth birthday party, when he invited Nico in for cake. But, looking at this room, he saw the Nico he'd never bothered to know.

There was a kitchenette to Percy's left, complete with a two-person dining table. The counter was full of sugary cereals, potato chips, candy, soda, basically anything unhealthy. Candy wrappers littered the floor. To Percy's right was a plasma T.V. with a Playstation 3, Wii, and XBox 360 plugged in. A Wiimote and nunchuck still sat on the armchair in front of the T.V.. A huge bookshelf housed at least a hundred games. A carpet was pushed to the back corner, allowing a thirty-foot runway where Nico could sock-skate, play, and practice with his sword. There was a half-finished Lego battleship right in the center. His bedroom dresser was piled high with comic books. There was a framed picture of Bianca's Westover Hall picture day photo on the nightstand, a second photo of ten-year-old Nico and four boys playing Mythomagic, and a third of a red-haired boy and Nico grinning on a cliffside.

Under the third photo was a piece of line paper. It was a short letter, written in black pen.

_Hey stupid-face. _

_Seriously? It took you six months to finally write me? I thought we were supposed to be friends. (¬_¬) _

_Peter told me I shouldn't say that cause of Bianca. I was just trying to make you laugh. I'm really sorry. If you needed six months, it's OK. But you're my best friend. I'm here to help you. _

_So your long-lost dad showed up and pulled you out of school? Dude, that's straight out of a movie. I'm sorry he's ignoring you, but maybe he's cold cause he feels bad? I mean, he made you think you were an orphan. That's messed up. I'd feel bad if I did that to my kid. Give him a chance. I think once he gets to know what an awesome guy you are he'll lighten up. Hey, at least he's super rich. And I bet homeschool is way better then this place. _

_Everyone says hi. Mythomagic tournaments aren't the same without you. Plus, my new roommate is way lamer. School's sucky to. _

_Write back soon, k? _

_\- Matt O'Harris_

Percy knew Nico had to grow up much faster than he should've. He always thought that Bianca's death was the nail in the coffin that was Nico's innocence and childhood. But, looking around at this place, reading that letter, he knew that wasn't true. Here, Nico had a second chance to be a kid... just a demigod kid. Then the Second Titan War forced him to grow up again, then his trip to Tartarus, then the Second Giant War, and then the quest to Hogwarts. It was poetic in a terrible way that Nico would die here, surrounded by the last bastion of his childhood. His last true happy place would become his tomb.

"He loved you," Macaria told Hades.

A smile flickered on Hades' lips for an instant, until his grief consumed him once again. "My sweet daughter. I don't deserve you."

"That's not true!" Macaria cried. "The Lethe did this, not you!"

"You're right," Hades said with a broken voice. "The Lethe washes everything away. They had to forget me to protect them from Zeus. I thought that was my punishment for raising them and breaking the ancient laws. They would die one way or the other, by Zeus's hand or by the Lethe's. I thought he was a shell of his former self. There was nothing left of the son I raised in the boy that came to me asking for this room. He was withdrawn, angry, stiff, nearly emotionless." At last, Hades looked up from Nico and looked his daughter in the eye. "He was mourning his sister. He was afraid of me. I didn't realize. I'd just lost Bianca... seeing Nico... I was bitter and angry, and I took it out on him. The son I loved was back, but he was a shell, a reminder of what I'd lost... thought I'd lost. I didn't see what I was doing to him until Hecate twisted his mind. Had I controlled my anger and seen clearly, I would've had my son back. This is my punishment. If I'd only been smarter, he never would've doubted how much I love him."

Macaria, with tears in her eyes, kissed her father on the cheek. It was such a sweet gesture, even Hades had to smile, if only for a moment. "Mother sent me. She-"

"I am not speaking to your mother right now."

"Father... it's _him_."

Hades' eyes darkened. The purple fire flared in his eyes. "Look after your brother. Don't let anyone in this room."

"Yes, Father."

Percy followed Hades to the throne room. He watched as the King of the Underworld took his throne without a word to his wife. Persephone looked equally angry, but there was unmistakable guilt buried in that anger too. Percy was glad for it. He'd gone from respecting Persephone to hating her as much as Hera. She had thrown Nico into the Mnemosyne, the River of Memory. She'd undone the effects of the Lethe and as good as killed her stepson. Hell, she sent him on this quest to begin with and threw him back in a world that he no longer belonged in. Hades and Percy both knew he'd be alive if not for her. Maybe the Lethe would've claimed him eventually, but it would've been slow enough that they could've saved him.

"Unless I ask for you, you are _silent _in this meeting," Hades ordered.

Persephone clenched her fists. "Yes, my lord," she forced herself to say.

Hades motioned to some skeleton guards. "Get him."

The guards chattered something intelligible to Percy. Five more guards ushered a human figure into the room, bound and gagged with their face entirely covered. The largest one threw them on the ground. Thick vines grew out of the floor and wrapped around the figure's arms and legs, forcing them to kneel.

"Untie him. I want to see the fear in his eyes."

The skeletons unmasked their prisoner. It was Alabaster; he was out cold and deadly pale. Skin had come clean off parts of his arms and legs, revealing patches of muscle and bone. His shirt and jeans looked like they were stitched together after the explosion. It was a horrible sight.

"Wake him."

A skeleton threw their leg bone at Alabaster. He woke with a start. He started thrashing, fighting against the vines. Desperate tears fell from his eyes, but there was nothing he could do. He saw his reflection in the polished bronze floor. He flinched and started to thrash even harder. Hades and Persephone both watched him with cruel smiles on their faces.

Their smiles faded when Alabaster went completely still. The signature Torrington sly grin crept onto his face. "I can feel pain," he realized. His smile widened. A faint glow surrounded his body, and his skin magically healed. Alabaster laughed. "Will Solace showed me some healing spells before he left for the Underworld. I can still do magic. I'm alive." As soon as he said it, the grin disappeared from his lips. "I'm alive... how am I alive?"

Hades' eyes narrowed. "Simple. You're no use to me dead." Fear returned to Alabaster. Hades stepped down from his throne and circled Alabaster, infinitely more intimidating because he was still ten feet tall. "So, what to do with the son of magic?" he pondered. "What to do with Alabaster C. Torrington, the favorite son of Hecate, the favored demigod of Kronos, leader of his treacherous siblings, traitor to Olympus... What. To. Do..." He stopped pacing. He turned to Persephone. "What should we do, my dove?"

Persephone lounged in her throne, fingers tapping the flat side of her sword. "I don't know, my lord. He has certainly caused his fair share of trouble."

"I would say so." Hades turned to Alabaster. "What would the son of magic recommend?"

Alabaster bristled. "I don't use that title anymore."

"Why?" Hades questioned. "It was the name your beloved master used. And you were proud, weren't you! General of demigods, quite a prestigious position." Alabaster yelled and thrashed as though he wanted to dive at and attack Hades. The god of the Underworld only laughed.

"I will call you whatever I please. You are nothing without your mother and stepfather, you understand. I am the eldest of my brothers by birth, the most powerful with the largest realm. _Everything _belongs to Hades eventually, every mortal, demigod, and monster. I have gods and heroes at my door every day, begging for mercy or for their loved ones back. I deserve the throne of Olympus! You are _NOTHING _when you are within my realm!

"And then, there's the son of magic and his snake of a mother, slithering behind my back, whispering in the ear of gods and demigods. So, tell me, what should I do with the so-called hero who returned to Olympus's realm after he was banished? Who betrayed the gods who showed him mercy? What should I do with the boy that turned my son against me and trained him in the dark arts? What should I do with the son of magic, who took my dying son from me? WHAT. SHOULD. I. DO?"

Alabaster spat at Hades' feet. Furious, Hades motioned to Persephone. She pointed her sword at Alabaster, and he writhed in pain, his mouth agape in a silent scream. "You may have control over magic," Persephone mused, "but so do I. I can harm your very soul. Don't force my hand."

"Send a message to Hecate and Merlin," Hades said. Alabaster's eyes widened. "Oh yes, son of magic, I know all about Merlin. My spy is hours away from the Stone. My forces are closing in on the Doors of Orpheus and Camp Half-Blood. As for D.O.A. Recording Studios... _Athena _will help me take them the moment I have the Stone in my hands."

"You can't get Athena involved!" Alabaster pleaded. "Mars will join Mom! They'll destroy everything!"

"Not if I destroy her first." Hades got an evil gleam in his eye. He turned towards the biggest skeleton. "I'll take a page out of Zeus's book. I'm sure the Kindly Ones would agree that this traitor should suffer the same fate as his master. Break every non-essential bone in his body and throw him into a cell. If he doesn't eat, force food down his throat. Keep him alive for less than sixty years, and you will be utterly destroyed."

Persephone's eyes widened in shock. "My lord-"

"_Not now, Persephone_," Hades growled.

The skeletons dragged Alabaster away as he screamed, "Mom will come for me! You can't stop her-"

His scream turned incoherent at the first crunch of bone.

The scene changed. Now Percy was in a church. Hecate stood at the altar, waiting. A man Percy knew must be Merlin made his way down the aisle. "Hecate-"

"Tell me it's not true!" Hecate shouted. "Hades _cannot _have Nico di Angelo! He _cannot _have the Artifacts or so help me-"

Merlin held up a hand. Hecate silenced herself. "He doesn't have the Artifacts. He has di Angelo, yes, but the Artifacts are lost, crushed when Thalia Grace and Lou Ellen severed the Lotus Eater's magic. Their hotel crumbled to ruin. The Artifacts have returned to their master."

"Alabaster's already in the Underworld," Hecate realized. "This is wonderful news! I'll contact him immediately, under their influence, Thanatos will be power-hungry."

"Hecate-"

"Alabaster must convince him to overthrow Hades, then you and I together can charm the new Lord of the Dead to hand them and di Angelo over."

"Hecate-"

"What?! Oh, my beloved, this is- why do you look like that."

Merlin took Hecate's hands. "Hecate... Hades has Alabaster."

"No..." Hecate whispered. Her voice was just as broken as Hades' had been in the presence of Nico. "No, no, no, no!" She burst into tears, hugging her husband's chest. At the sight of his distraught wife, Merlin allowed a few tears to fall himself. It was odd to Percy, seeing a godly step-parent who actually loved their stepchild, but Alabaster had said Merlin raised him along with Hecate. It made sense that he would feel the loss too.

"Is he alive?" Hecate asked in a weak voice.

"Apparently so," Merlin conceded. "But, there's no way to know-"

"Pull our forces from D.O.A. Recording Studios immediately," Hecate ordered. "Send an olive branch to Hades, a temporary truce. Should he return Alabaster, Hermione Granger will give him the Philosopher's Stone once she recovers it. Make an oath on the Styx."

"Hecate?" Merlin questioned. "You want us to surrender? We will lose the respect of the council, Bellona especially. We are so close to getting Mars! The trial is tomorrow. If we do such a thing, we will lose everything."

"Send the message," Hecate insisted. But something was off about her tone of voice. Merlin noticed it too but said nothing. Instead, he waved his hand. A green forcefield engulfed the two of them.

"Speak your mind," Merlin said.

Hecate focused on the stained-glass window over Merlin's shoulders, tears still in her eyes. "You and I will cast layers of magic over Camp Jupiter. Spread chaos and confuse the demigods in New Rome. When Camp Jupiter thinks Dionysus has chosen Hades, they will turn against Camp Half-Blood and cause a civil war among the demigods. While they argue, we will send visions to the Doors of Orpheus, making them think the Furies are attacking the Hunters and their forces. In the eyes of Olympus, I have offered Hades peace, and, instead of taking it, he tries to viciously solidify his power. Let him have the Stone, for all I care. Once I have the backing of Olympus, it is useless to him. When I am made the Mistress of the Dead, I will take the Artifacts myself and force Nico di Angelo to dethrone Zeus. We will have our son back and everything we ever wanted. For Alabaster."

Merlin stared at Hecate, utterly speechless. But, he caught himself. "As- as you wish, my darling. We will tell no one of this, I assume?"

"Of course not. Someone is feeding Hades information he should not have. I will not risk our son's life for anything." With a wave of her hand, the force field faded. "Send the message, Merlin?"

But both Merlin and Percy knew that wasn't a question.

**END NOTES**

There's no more beta commentary on this fic because this is the point where Oli had finals and had to stop beta reading.

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!


	32. The Most Expensive Lyft Ever

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

Annabeth, Ron, Hermione, and Cho meet Slytherin, god of magical creatures.  


**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: General Audiences  
Content Warning: None  
Word Count: 2903

I might post the final two chapters tonight, if not, they'll be up tomorrow. It's just that I have to edit the final chapter a bit and I don't know how long that will take me.

And all the characters are owned by J.K. Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_HERMIONE_**

Hermione slept fretfully that night. Surrounded by bad memories, her dreams consisted of Snape, Lupin, and a disheveled Sirius ready to attack. Cho, the traitor, stood by as Harry died again and again, screaming, "I thought you loved me, Cho! Help me!" "It was necessary," Nico di Angelo whispered in her ear. Then, he turned into Merlin. "Do not fail me my dear, or the Wizarding World will die. Be my champion or Harry died for nothing..."

"Hermione! Hermione!" Ron shook her awake. "You were screaming in your sleep. Are you all right?"

"Bad dream," Hermione admitted. She was beyond tired, but Merlin's words echoed in her mind. Harry's face gave her a surge of energy. She _would _get the Philosopher's Stone, and she would get it today. She'd save the Wizarding World just in time for Ceres' trial against Hades tomorrow. There was no other option.

"We _need _to get to Loch Arthur," Hermione declared.

"How?" Ron asked. "We can't apparate, we don't have brooms, thestrals don't exist anymore..."

Cho held up her cell phone. "The nearest muggle town is Fort Augustus. Loch Arthur's only four hours away by car; I have Lyft on my phone. It's not cheap, but I can use my debit card, I saved a lot of money last summer."

"Don't you want any money when you go home?" Annabeth asked a little suspiciously.

Cho said nothing.

The sun was rising over the Scottish Highlands by the time they made it to Fort Augustus. To Hermione's surprise, they found a Lyft driver willing to make the four hour trip. He cranked up the radio in his car and chatted amiably to them, joking and telling stories of his grandkids' antics. It was wonderful to be distracted from her worries of Cho and fears of meeting Slytherin, but it was also so... odd. The Wizarding World was in a state of anarchy, but the muggle world was perfectly fine. The apocalypse would come tomorrow unless the demigods could stop it. World War Two among the gods. The Wizarding World felt straight on the path to Armageddon. The muggle world had no idea what was happening.

"Have fun, girls. Stay warm," the driver said as he pulled up to the lake. The three of them said goodbye as they stepped out of the car. They waited until the car was a pinprick in the distance. They were all alone.

Hermione looked around. This lake was nothing like Hogwarts's. Sure, there were green hills in the distance, but that was where the similarities ended. Dark, almost black trees crowded the edges of the lake. Driftwood floated as far as the eye could see. The water was dark and cloudy; it didn't sparkle at all. She suddenly felt very cold, even in her warm ski jacket.

"Slytherin would be somewhere secluded," Annabeth decided. "That's usually what nature gods do, and he is the god of magical creatures."

"Don't tell me," Hermione groaned. "The woods?"

"I think so."

It didn't take long for the thick trees to reveal a plethora of magical creatures. Bowtruckles clung to the dark branches, billywigs buzzed around like flies. Flobberworms slithered on the ground, peaking out of holes like maggots.

Knezels and crups, the cats and dogs of the Wizarding World, weaved through the trees until half a dozen were trotting in front of them. They barked and meowed a chorus of sounds as though they were trying to communicate. "They want us to follow them," Cho guessed. Hermione had to agree.

The animals brought them back to the lakeside. Thick, thick trees surrounded them on all sides, hiding the shore from prying eyes. Nifflers played in the water like ducks, digging for shiny rocks beneath the water's surface. Mooncalfs popped their heads out of their burrows, even though it was still daytime. Thestrals and griffins flew above them, circling the area like pterodactyls.

_I can see thestrals now. _

She thought of Percy Weasley, Cornelius Fudge, Yasmina the Hunter, and all the dead bodies she'd seen at the mob outside the Daily Prophet headquarters. Too many had died already. The sight of those thestrals was living proof of how much everything had changed. How much she had changed.

A beautiful nymph tended to white flowers in a small garden. Her golden hair was covered in a wreath of flowers, and her dress seemed to be made of hundreds of tree leaves. "Leave now, chosen ones. He will not speak to you," the nymph said.

"Who are you?" Hermione asked.

"I am Patalena, once the goddess of flowers, but today the spirit of this forest." She thought for a moment and smiled, amused. "You may know me as the Lady of the Lake." She turned from her flowers. Her eyes were friendly, but Hermione also knew she meant business. "My Lord Salazar has chosen to remain neutral in this war. His parents, Lord Merlin and Lady Hecate, respect his neutrality. Her chosen people should respect it also."

"It's all right, Patalena," came a booming voice. Slytherin stood before them, as though he were always there. He looked exactly like his portraits: a balding man with silver hair and a beard down to his chest. He wore a flowing green robe and cloak. But, unlike the portraits, a snake circled around his head like a crown; it ate its own tail. A phoenix was perched on his shoulder. A she-cat and meerkat, the symbols of his mother, weaved affectionately between his legs. And that pendant he famously wore... it was the Philosopher's Stone in its true godly form. Somehow, she was sure of that.

Annabeth immediately knelt. Hermione, Ron, and Cho followed suit. "Lord Slytherin," Hermione said.

"There's no need for that," Slytherin said. "Especially not from my students." They rose. "You must forgive Patalena. She's been quite kind, my only company in my chosen isolation."

"Of course, my lord," Patalena said.

"I grew up here," Slytherin continued. "My father, Merlin, was still mortal. But, he drank the elixir of the Philosopher's Stone. It was enough to make me a god, rather than a demigod." He touched the Stone hanging from his neck. "My mother Hecate grew afraid. The birth of a god from a mortal would raise eyebrows. Pluto could not know of this Stone. She could no longer train my father as Morgan le Fey, and could not visit me. Merlin, still serving as King of the Wizards, could not raise me as a prince for the same reason. Patalena raised me here, at Loch Arthur, named after the muggle legend based on my story.

"When Merlin abdicated and could finally call me his own, he told me he would grant me any favor as an apology for being so distant. I asked him to help me found a school in my mother's name. He gathered Hecate's finest students, and the four of us created Hogwarts. When Merlin was satisfied we'd created something to last the ages, he gave me the Philosopher's Stone and stopped drinking its elixir so Hecate could turn him into the god of wizards. Hecate soon asked the four of us to rejoin her court, and so we 'arranged' our deaths, so to speak, and left the Wizarding World forever."

Slytherin looked at each of them in turn. "As Ravenclaw foretold, I would return in a time of great crisis. I would have the chance to save or to damn the Wizarding World forever, as my father made his choice to push the Romans from our shore. I knew when I decided to leave her prophecy would come true. And, indeed, the heroes arrive."

"My lord, you will not give it to them?!" Patalena cried. "You know as well as I do that that stone in Hecate or Pluto's hands could lead to the destruction of the mortal world!"

"That's not true!" Hermione protested. "We want to rebuild the Wizarding World!"

"Ah, so you see my dilemma," Slytherin mused. "To give or not to give the Philosopher's Stone. One will lead to the destruction of everything I've built. The other will lead to the end of all this suffering." He studied each of them carefully, eyes moving from Hazel to Hermione and, finally, to Cho. "The daughter of Hades, the warrior of Hecate, and the one caught in between." His hand closed over the Stone. "I cannot risk this falling into the hands of my enemies. Nor can I let my mother and father descend into cruelty. You must find another way to save our world. Patalena is right. I cannot help you."

"No!" Hermione shouted. "You have to!"

"You may rest here," Slytherin said. "Tomorrow at sunset marks the trial. I suggest you rendezvous with your friends and find a way to save the Wizarding World."

**_CHO_**

Cho didn't want to stay at Loch Arthur. But the sun was already setting, and they had nowhere else to go. Twenty-four hours marked the trial. If Lord Hades was true to his word, she would have a second chance at life in one day.

_Yeah. In time to see the world destroyed. _

She snuck away from the others when the moon was high in the sky. Back to the lakeshore, the full moon cast silver light over the water. It was beautiful and haunting at the exact same time.

That beautiful moon brought her back to the Hunters of Artemis. How had it only been a few days since Roszí offered her a new family? Why did she spend that money on the Lyft? Simple. She could never go back home to her parents and Sora. She'd betrayed Hecate when she joined Hades. She would kill her family if Cho led her back to them. And, after this failure, Lord Hades might do the same to punish her. She knew now the Genevieve the Olympian in disguise had sent her that prophetic dream to set her on this path to the demigods. And it was clear now: she could never go back.

With her last drachma, she resigned herself to her fate. "O Iris, goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering. Lord Hades and Queen Persephone-"

"Which path will you choose, Cho Chang?" came a familiar booming voice. Slytherin had found her.

Cho started to shake. "W- what do you mean? And how do you know my name?"

"We lose our way in times of war. We run in, sword drawn, as brave as a lion, as wise as the eagle, as fearsome as the badger. And, yet, only the snake can see the truth: when we fight, we are at our lowest. When we rush into battle, our amnesia runs both ways. We make choices we regret. The cunning snake fears nothing, for it walks among the dregs of life. You have seen more than a follower of Hecate should see, have you not, Cho Chang? You have felt my grief, and you have wandered and lost yourself to Time."

Tears poured down Cho's cheeks. "Time's just a metaphor for my grief," Cho said. "And I don't feel that grief anymore."

"Do you? Then why do you continue to serve a god you have no loyalty for? You are not fixed in your ways until you stand before the Judges."

"But, I am," Cho whimpered. "I've done so much already. If I'm halfway to hell, why shouldn't I forge ahead?"

"You already know the answer," Slytherin said. "It is not often an Olympian mentors a mortal. Especially that one. You must remember her teachings. What did you learn from Genevieve?"

"I don't know! She left me!" Cho shouted. "I swore an oath the Styx. No one can save me from that!"

Slytherin looked at her, disappointed. "Then you have made your choice. You must serve your patron." He unclasped his necklace and held the Philosopher's Stone out to Cho. "I reassign the Philosopher's Stone allegiance to you, Cho Chang, should you choose to accept my offering. I see now that this is the choice Ravenclaw predicted. You will decide the fate of our world. You will decide the fate of this war."

"Is this what Charon meant?" Cho asked, stalling for time. "He told me I had prophecy in me."

"It is true," Slytherin said. "You are a _cho_, the flower that Delphi predicted. Your time with the ghosts of millennia will come soon. The god you serve, be it Hecate or Pluto, grieve the loss of their son. Who do you stand with? Who will you choose?"

Who would she choose? That was the question, wasn't it?

_You said I passed your test, Genevieve. What was the point of it? How did it help me? Please..._

* * *

_As she stood there, she thought back to her old friend for something, anything, that would give her clarity._

_"Thank you for saving my life," the bride whispered, "I'm Genevieve. I'll get you help. You're going to be fine."_

* * *

_A young woman sat at Cho's bedside in a private ward. For a moment, there was nothing. Then, Cho's chest started rising and falling. The woman beside her gasped and grabbed Cho's hand. Tears wet her cheeks._

_Cho's eyes opened. "Genevieve?" she asked weakly._

_"I'm here," Genevieve assured her. "The healer said you were dying, but I didn't lose hope. You saved my life, Cho, I couldn't live with myself if you died in my place."_

* * *

_She hadn't thought of Harry or Cedric since she'd died, but with Genevieve's words, all those emotions came crashing back. A little voice in her head wanted her to tell Genevieve to suck things up, there were worse things that could happen than losing someone in a crowd._

Her fiancée could be dead.

And? At least she has hope. The world gave you no hope. Why should you be her rock with everything you went through? Let someone else deal with Time's torture. It's not your fault Wendy's lost. Why should you help Genevieve? You already died for her! You have a mission for Lord Hades!

_Cho swallowed those words before they could come out of her mouth._

* * *

_Cho felt angry. The moment she heard Fudge shout, "Avada Kedavra!" and heard Ron's anguished scream, every muscle in her body clenched. She wanted to walk right out of there and show Fudge how well she could duel._

_But Genevieve put her arm on Cho's stomach. "This isn't your fight," she whispered._

_"Fudge is dead," Cho said in an empty voice._

_"You stunned him, Cho. He didn't feel a thing. I thought... I thought you were going to make him suffer." Genevieve lowered her eyes in shame. "I was afraid you would."_

_"I wanted to," Cho said, "but I couldn't. I'm not Umbridge. He saw my face, he knew who I was from the protest. His last thought was about me, how he would die because of what he did to me. That's my revenge. I'm not a monster. I don't need anything else."_

* * *

_Genevieve didn't say a word until they were aboard the train. She seemed lost in her own thoughts. There was something wrong, Cho could tell. "Is everything okay?"_

_"No," Genevieve replied with a quivering voice. "I dreamed-my fiancé-she's dead. There was a riot after the Minister died, and she was still in town, waiting for me..."_

_Tears fell down Genevieve's cheeks. Cho put her arm around her shoulders and side-hugged her. Despite herself, that nasty little voice in her head returned._

You knew this would happen the day you met her. Now she's broken, like you were. Useless. Time's got her trapped now. You're free. This isn't your problem anymore.

_"No," Cho said under her breath, replying to the voice. "Look at me," she told her friend. "It's okay to be upset."_

_"She was in Diagon Alley for me," Genevieve whispered. "I was the one who wanted to get married there..."_

_"This isn't your fault," Cho told her. "We're going to fight for her now, and make her death matter. Don't give up."_

_Genevieve hiccuped. "The truth is, I was getting cold feet. I was scared, caring about someone so much... now, I'm paying for it."_

_"Being vulnerable is okay. Even when it hurts... it's worth it. I think about Harry and Cedric and Marietta all the time. But I wouldn't give them up for the world. They made me who I am today."_

* * *

"I chose me." Cho's voice grew strong. "My suffering made me strong, but it also made me weak. I chose to give up my happiness and my family so I could return to fight on. But I don't want to fight anymore. I want the Hunters of Artemis. I want a family. I want to be free, surrounded by those who love me again." Overwhelmed with emotion, she lifted her head to the heavens and cried, "I hear you, Genevieve! I know you love me! I trust that you'll protect me from Hades and Persephone! I saved you! I'll let you save me!"

Slytherin pointed to the lake. Cho turned and gasped. A million sparks rose from the water like fireflies. Cho knew it was Genevieve, praising her, promising to protect her. She felt as though her friend was hugging her again, telling her everything would be okay.

"You know who she was, don't you?" Cho asked, still staring at the sparks over the lake.

"Yes," Slytherin said. "She was Vesta, goddess of the hearth."

**END NOTES**

So we know who Genevieve was! Were you surprised?

Also, I have work soon so I'll do comments on CH 34.

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!


	33. Hades Finally Does the Thing

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

Percy, Will, Blaise, and Hestia make their attempt to save Nico.

**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: General Audiences  
Content Warning: None  
Word Count: 3321

This is (probably) the last one for today.

And all the characters are owned by J.K. Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

**_PERCY_**

The moment Percy woke from his dream, he woke Will, Blaise, and Hestia. It was too important to leave for the morning, especially now that sundown would bring the trial. Percy knew that whatever ending would come, it would come today. And they needed Nico to stop the mayhem.

"We'll have to go to Thanatos and get the Artifacts," Will decided. It was the first time he'd spoken since Nico died.

"But Hecate said he'd be power-hungry," Blaise reminded them. "And remember what Persephone told Nico. They're addicting. He might not want to give them up, and with the Artifacts, he'd be unstoppable."

"We need to find someone who can wield the Artifacts the way Nico could, otherwise we don't stand a chance against Thanatos," Hestia agreed. "Macaria, maybe?"

"No way we're going back to the Palace with Hades on the warpath," Will said. "And she's so weak anyway; wielding such a powerful godly weapon could make her fade completely."

"Could we contact Rachel?" Blaise asked. "There might be another prophecy."

_Another prophecy... _

And that's when Percy realized what they had to do.

"Guys, there _is _another prophecy. When Nico met Hades last year, when he started the quest, Hades said he wouldn't wait two more years for Harry Potter to kill Riddle. And who else would be willing to help us? It has to be him."

No one wanted to work with Harry again after what he'd done to Nico, Percy most of all. But there was a silent understanding: Harry might be their only hope. One by one, everyone nodded in agreement. And the somber atmosphere got a little less heavy. They had a plan now.

"How do we find him?" Will asked.

Percy swallowed hard, nearly flinching at an old, painful memory. "How much food do we have left?"

At Percy's instruction, the four of them dug a twenty-foot pit in the middle of their campsite. They poured orange juice, cookies, granola bars, sandwiches, anything they had left into the pit. Then, Percy began to chant what he remembered in Ancient Greek, only replacing Bianca's name with Harry's. He may have been fourteen when Nico did this the first time, but the memory was scarred into his brain.

It felt just as unnatural the second time as it had the first.

Sulfurous mist seeped out of the ground. Black shadows appeared around the edge of the pit; spirits unable to eat or drink from the pit. But, then, a spirit with an electric green hue, the color of Hecate, knelt before them to drink. After a few moments, he rose.

Harry Potter.

Percy stopped chanting, and the mist and black shadows faded. "Harry," Percy said stiffly. He was still beyond furious at the follower of Hecate for what he did to Nico. He just couldn't help it.

"Jackson," Harry said. "What are you doing here?"

Hestia stepped forward. "The war among the gods that we tried to stop, it's- it's happening now. We came to the Underworld to find the Artifacts of Thanatos again. It's the only way to make the gods listen to us and stop before they destroy the world."

Harry went pale. In his ghostly form, it made him look almost as see-through as Macaria. "Where's Nico?"

"Dead," Will said. "No, worse than dead. His soul is fading. Unless we can save him, he won't come to the Underworld, he won't be reborn, he'll just... vanish."

"That's why we summoned you," Blaise concluded. "We think you were destined to unite the Artifacts if Nico hadn't. Which means you'd be able to wield them like Nico could. We know where they are, but won't be able to get them without your help."

Harry swallowed hard. "I- I don't know. I'm only a wizard, a dead wizard. What if using them in their real form fades _me _?"

Percy grit his teeth. "After what you did to Nico, you owe him this."

"I died for him!" Harry shouted. "Isn't that enough?"

"Oh, boo-hoo, you're spending eternity in Elysium with your parents," Percy retorted. "Hades wanted to throw you in Punishment. _Nico _was the one who intervened. He practically strong-armed Hazel into arguing on your behalf, even after everything you did to him! Without Nico, we've got no chance in stopping this war. Your world is in anarchy right now. The gods are ready to start armageddon. If you _really _want to make up for the mistakes you made, you'll do this. Now."

Harry looked like he wanted to curse Percy. But, slowly, that anger faded into guilt. "Sirius told me I should do something to fix my mistakes," Harry said. "I thought dying was enough, but... but maybe this is _why _I died. You said there are Fates, right? Well, maybe this is fate." Harry glided forward. "Promise me one thing, Jackson."

"Name it."

"You'll tell Sirius, Ron, Hermione, and Cho that I'm sorry I never got to say goodbye."

Percy nodded. "Deal."

Now that Harry was dead, he could navigate the Underworld pretty well. Not _Nico _well, but good enough that he was able to lead them to Thanatos. They ended up where it all began, between the Doors of Orpheus and the River Styx, staring at an office building made entirely of black mist. Familiar sulfurous gas surrounded the building. Hooded grim reapers flowed in and out of the door constantly, disappearing the moment they stepped outside.

"Thanatos," Percy said. He forced his voice not to tremble, and said what he thought Nico would've said. "I saved you from Gaea's chains. You owe me. I'm collecting on that debt. Speak to me, now."

Another hooded figure stepped out of the door, but this one looked a little more solid and a little taller than the others. He lowered his hood, and there was Thanatos, exactly as beautiful as Percy remembered. Will gasped. Blaise and Hestia started to shake.

"Yes," Thanatos said to the followers of Hecate. "It is hard for a mortal to see a god for the first time. Be thankful you do not stand in the presence of a greater god, or you would be in far worse pain. Ask your friend Cho Chang."

"Cho?" Harry asked. "She's- she can't be-"

"Dead?" Thanatos asked. "Today, no. But not to long ago, yes. She served my Lord Hades for a time, though I believe she's broken her oath. Fortunately for her, Lord Hades no longer cares. She's served her purpose. With Athena on his side, he will recover the Philosopher's Stone from her as soon as the trial commences. Or so he thinks."

Harry, Blaise, and Hestia looked terribly shocked. But Percy didn't have time to think about what Cho had done. "If you know that, you know that Nico's dead," Percy said.

"Yes," Thanatos agreed, "I do indeed. Quite a blow. I remember him as a child, before the Second Titan War. I'm afraid to say that I grew fond of the boy. So much pain. So much death."

"Then you'll help us save him?" Will asked hopefully. "We need your Artifacts to save his soul before it fades completely."

Thanatos's eyes darkened. "My Artifacts, you say? After all the trouble they have caused, why would I bring them back into this world?"

"Aren't you afraid they'll corrupt you again?" Percy asked. "They won't be nearly as powerful in Harry's or Nico's hands. We can keep them at Camp Half-Blood, away from anyone who can use them. Safe."

"I... have put measures in place."

"Have you?" came a melodic voice from behind them. Everyone turned. Percy's eyes widened in shock. There stood none other than Persephone, with Nico lying limp in her arms. "Oh, Thanatos, do you never learn?"

Thanatos knelt. "My Queen."

Persephone rolled her eyes. "Give them the Artifacts. Tomorrow the Underworld goes to war, and the last thing I need is a grievous Hades so close to such a horrible, powerful weapon."

"You're... helping us?" Percy asked, shocked beyond measure. "I thought you hated Nico. I thought you wanted this to happen!"

Persephone turned to Percy with stormy eyes. "I wanted to prevent this war. If I knew that the Mnemosyne would lead to this, I never would've done such a thing. This boy is a hero for the ages, and has helped me many times. I will never forget how he saved my life. I want nothing more than for him to be happy, safe, and sound. But I had to trick him in order to save the world."

"Why should we believe you?!" Will shouted. "You did this to him! You want to stop the war; you're on Hades' side!"

"Things had gone too far. I have no love for Hecate nor her children, but, as I've said, nothing is worth the end of Western Civilization. Now give them the Artifacts, Thanatos. If you have a sliver of willpower left in you, you will listen to your queen."

Thanatos raised his scythe. "I will not give the Artifacts to anyone. They've wrought too much destruction already."

Persephone sighed. "Percy, please hold your brother for me?" Will accepted Nico into his arms. She drew her sword and pointed it at Thanatos. "You _will _obey me."

In response, Thanatos slashed her with his scythe. It scraped her sword arm, drawing golden ichor, the blood of the gods, but she wasn't bothered by it at all. She yelled and thrust her sword. The Key of the Underworld within it started to glow. Above them, the rocky sky opened up to reveal the sun, so bright that Percy had to squint. "_Let the spirits above descend below_!" she shouted in Ancient Greek. A fierce wind ripped through the air. Thousands of monstrous spirits descended through the hole in the sky. Almost a million monsters surrounded Thanatos.

Thanatos turned and ran back inside the house, but Persephone was too quick for that. The monsters parted as she jumped inside to follow him. With one slash to his back, golden ichor poured from his black robe. He cried in agony and sank to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Harry sprinted into the house. Moments later, he reappeared with the Robe slung over his shoulder and the Staff with the Orb fastened on top in his hand. "Stand down!" Harry shouted.

Thanatos collapsed to the ground. With a wave of her sword, the spirits Persephone had summoned returned to the surface world, the hole in the sky closing behind them. "He will wake," Persephone assured them. "Now that the Artifacts have reassigned their allegiance, he will no longer be under their influence. Be glad he hasn't had them for long. That was tame compared to the last time he wielded them."

"How do I revive Nico?" Harry asked.

"You can't," Persephone said. "His body is too weak; using the Artifacts on him will burn him to ashes."

"Then how do we save him?" Will asked. "There _has _to be a way."

Persephone smiled. "You know the answer already. If one river made him weak, another will make him strong."

Percy forced himself to think. He looked over Persephone's shoulder, to the churning water of the Styx. "No... you can't mean the Styx."

Persephone nodded. "It's the only way to save him."

"But his mother is dead!" Percy cried. "And my mom hasn't blessed him, if that even counts! How could he keep himself anchored when he's in this state?"

"Hestia's blessing that he would find his way home," Will realized. "Percy, we have to trust that that's enough."

With tears in his eyes, Percy carried Nico to the edge of the Styx. He had a horrible feeling that this was the last time he'd ever see his brother. "You can do it," Percy whispered. "Nico, I believe in you."

And he threw Nico di Angelo into the River Styx.

**_NICO_**

He was playing solitaire in his room at the Lotus Hotel and Casino when someone knocked on the door. "Coming!" Nico called. He stood from the ground and opened the door. There stood a girl about his age with beautiful brown eyes, black hair, and a warm smile. He recognized her, but he couldn't place it.

"Might I come in?" the girl asked.

"Uh, yeah," he said. "Who are you?"

"You know me already," the girl replied. "Think hard, Nico."

"Is that my name?" Nico asked. The woman nodded. Nico bit his lip, hard in thought. "Umm..." then, a name popped into his head. "Hestia."

"The goddess or the follower of Hecate?" Hestia asked.

"Goddess," Nico replied automatically, though he didn't know how he knew that.

"You're in quite the predicament, Nico," Hestia said. "It is taking all my power to keep you from fading completely. Right now, Persephone carries you to your friends, where you will meet your final fate. My power is fading. I cannot keep you safe much longer."

"What can I do?" Nico asked.

"Find your way home." Hestia waved her hand, and the T.V. sprang to life. "These past days have been so hard on you," she continued. "Caught between your old family and new, discovering your half-brother Hitler and father's misdeeds, quest after quest when all you want to do is run."

"I'm good at running," Nico said.

"But you can't run from who you are," Hestia replied. "You've tried, many times. And how often as it worked?"

"Never."

Hestia smiled. "You're wise for such a young man. Now, what will you choose to see? I can show you your family, old or new. I can show you your boyfriend, your friends, the state of the war."

"No," Nico said. "I want the answer I've been running from."

Hestia raised her eyebrows. "Which is?"

Nico swallowed hard. It was difficult to get the words out. "Paul said Hitler committed suicide. I was to see Papà-Hades. I want to see if he did anything to stop him."

The T.V. screen sprang to life. Nico saw Adolf Hitler in a forest, presumably somewhere in Germany. He was on his knees, praying in Ancient Greek. "**_Find me, Father._**"

Hades appeared before him. "**_I suppose you don't want your soldiers to understand you. Over the Mist, they would think you're crazier than you already are, speaking to gods._**"

Hitler clenched his jaw. "**_I_ _am crazy? I've done nothing but fight in your name and expand your realm, and you've forsaken me!_**"

That familiar purple fire flared in Hades' eyes. "**_Expand my realm? You've turned the other gods against me! You've turned my __wife__against me! You've brainwashed my other sons in Japan! You've killed the woman I loved and forced me to abandon my children! Forsaken you?! You should be glad I merely __abandoned__you!_" **Hades laughed a dark laugh.** "_And now you challenge me. Well, I think I will help you, Adolf. I will help to keep you from damaging the world any longer._**"

Hitler scoffed. "**_You would curse me, your son?_**"

"**_Oh, I won't just curse you. I'll make an __example_ _of you. You will die alone, in fear, like the millions you've killed. Your allies will be destroyed by the jews you've chased from your country. Your country will disown you; the world will remember you forever as the worst human to ever disgrace Western Civilization._**"

"**_You'd kill me, Father? After all I've done for you?_**"

"**_Kill you? No. No, I want the world to say, 'Hitler wasn't all bad. After all... he did kill Hitler. I swear that you will be the first son of Hades to suffer in the Fields of Punishment for all eternity, and your punishment will be the harshest I've ever given._" **Hitler's eyes widened in fear. Hades laughed again.** "_Now run, my son. Run from Thanatos. Perhaps you will be the first one to be successful._**"

The screen turned to another scene. He saw Percy carry him to the mouth of the River Styx, trembling with fear. "You can do it," Percy whispered. "Nico, I believe in you."

Nico closed his eyes. If he was to survive, he had to remember what would keep him human.

_Nico felt so weak from starvation that he could barely stand. He knew he would die here, at ten years old, alone, in this maze of terrible tunnels, just like Percy probably wanted him to. Percy, the hero... he wanted him dead. It was worse than anything. Anything except losing Bianca._

_A faint, blue glow shone in the distance. Nico was too weak to even crawl, so he cried out, "Help! Help me!"_

_The blue light grew stronger. Suddenly, there was the face of a man, no, a ghost, looking at him curiously. "I am King Minos. Who are you?" the ghost asked._

_"Nico di Angelo, son of Hades," he croaked. "Please, help me. Take me to my father. Please."_

_"Your father?" Minos questioned. "I remember when I judged your sister. Your father let her die, did he not? He abandoned you."_

_"I know," Nico said, tears in his eyes, "but I don't want to die."_

_"I will help you," Minos said. "I will fashion you a sword worthy of the son of Hades. I will train you. Together, we will bring your sister back to the surface world."_

_Nico felt hopeful for the first time in days. "We can save her?"_

_"A life for a life," Minos informed him. "And I know exactly who we can trade her for. I will lead you to the Doors of Orpheus. I will help you heal, and you will gather supplies and food to sustain yourself. Tomorrow, we travel to the Labyrinth."_

Nico wanted his sister. He wanted Bianca so badly that it hurt him. Pain seared from every point in his body. He felt himself fade faster and faster, unable to think, move, or even breathe. Is this what dying felt like?

But he heard a tiny voice in his mind, telling him to persist. He couldn't remember his name, he couldn't remember anything but that voice. It was familiar...

His mind drifted to a different scene. There, in one of the bedrooms at the Big House, lay Sally Jackson and Paul Blofis, both wide awake, even in the dead of night. "He can't die, he just can't," Sally cried. Paul was too hysterical to say anything either, but he held Sally close.

"Do you- do you remember when he and Alabaster summoned a thestral for the first time?" Paul asked, chuckling through his tears. "Teddy, they called him."

"They wanted to keep it in the apartment," Sally said, laughing too. "I told him it would make better friends with the pegasi and Mrs. O'Leary."

"And the first time he watched the Amazing Spiderman," Paul said. " 'that's my favorite superhero, I remember reading him when he came out...' "

"He'll come back to us," Sally convinced herself. "He has to. He has so much life in him. He has to."

Nico thought about Nonno and Mamma and Bianca back home, but realized they didn't matter anymore. He knew why he had those dreams now. That idyllic life he remembered never really existed. It was here, now, for the first time, where Nico truly had nothing to worry about. He could never bring himself to call them mom and dad, but he realized that that's truly what they were. Last year, he let his old family go. This year, he would stop running from their memory. He could be a demigod and still have a normal mortal life. A di Angelo and a Jackson. He didn't have to choose anymore. He could be _both_.

It wasn't until Nico stepped into the room that he realized he could move again. "Mom? Dad? I'm home."

Nico gasped. When he opened his eyes, he saw Harry Potter standing over him, Staff in hand, mumbling something inaudible. His skin was raw and red, and he felt more like death than when he actually died, but he felt happier than he had since the day he was adopted.

"I'm home," Nico whispered once again.

**END NOTES**

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!


	34. The Flower and Angel

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

The questers reunite to save Camp Jupiter from Hecate's curse.

**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: General Audiences  
Content Warning: Cursing, Violence (Mild)  
Word Count: 3892

Notes and comments will be on the final chapter.

And all the characters are owned by J.K. Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

* * *

**_NICO_**

"Sit up slowly," Percy said.

"No shit," Nico croaked out. His friends laughed with relief at the trademarked Nico di Angelo sarcasm. After nearly fading forever and taking a dip in the Styx sans a mother's blessing, Nico guessed it was warranted. He'd come so close to death, closer than he ever had before.

"Will, can you do some sort of healing spell to help Nico get his strength back?" Blaise asked. "We need to warn the others about Percy's dream."

"What dream?" Nico asked.

"Shhh," Will said softly. He bent down to Nico's level and kissed him tenderly. "We'll tell you soon. You need to get your strength back."

"I can help with that."

_No... it can't be._

But it was. Persephone was standing there, watching him. On instinct, Nico tried to scramble back, terrified she would curse him again, but he was too weak for that. If it wasn't for Will's steady arms, he would've either fainted or fallen back into the Styx.

"You don't get to do anything," Percy growled.

"My magic is far stronger than any demigod's," Persephone said. "The boy needs more than this son of Apollo can give him."

"Why do you want to help me?" Nico demanded. "You tried to kill me!"

"_Capture _you," Persephone corrected. "I always meant to get you out. And, if I had known the Lethe would claim you, I never would've trapped you in the Mnemosyne." Persephone huffed, but there was an amused sparkle in her eyes. "I meant what I said, Nico. You _are _a hero for the ages. I daresay I warmed up to you while you lived with Hades. I never meant to hurt you. I was merely trying to protect my husband from himself." She bent down to his level. Will tightened his arms around Nico. Persephone rolled her eyes. "Relax, son of Apollo. Let me make up for my mistake. Let me return a favor. Nico, I will never forget how you saved my life. Why do you think I brought you here? I'll face the wrath of Hades when I return to the palace, but I could not let you die. As you once reminded me, an exchange of favor is an established practice of my realm."

Nico swallowed hard.

_I can't believe I'm doing this, but..._

"You're right," Nico told her, much to the shock of his friends. "You didn't know. I- I believe you. And... I forgive you. Heal me and get us out of here. The trial is tonight, and I have to be there."

"There is one... complication."

"Of course there is," Nico muttered. "What is it?"

"There's only one way to prevent the Lethe from claiming your mind once again," Persephone informed him. "In order to save you, I must give you your demigod status back. I can transfer some of my golden ichor into your blood. Things will go back to the way they once were."

"Then do it," Nico told her.

"Nico..." Percy interrupted. He put his hand on his shoulder in a comforting sort of way. "You don't have to do that. I know how much you want a normal life."

"I'll _never _have a normal life," Nico said. "Percy, it's time to stop running from who I am. Look where it's gotten me. I'll still have you and our parents. There's no reason I can't have a mortal life... with a bit of demigod on the side. And I'm honestly okay with that. Persephone, do it."

Persephone put a hand to Nico's cheek. She sang an ancient tune, a sweet melody in a language older than even Ancient Greek. Nico felt warmth spread through his body. His vision got a little sharper. Slowly, his strength returned.

"Right," Nico said. "Now, what was Percy's dream?"

The more Percy recounted, the more terrified Nico got. And when he heard about Alabaster, he boiled with rage. "You have to save him!" Nico yelled at Persephone. Alabaster is a hero, and my best friend!"

"Hades is drowning in grief, that's why he acts with such cruelty," Persephone said bitterly. "Understand, if I could stop it, I would. The boy deserves to be punished, but not like this. The only way to save him now is to negotiate his release at the trial."

"I'm not leaving him! You have to convince him to let Al go!"

"He will not listen to me."

"But there _has _to be a way!"

"Let me help," Harry said. "Persephone can sneak me into the castle and give me the power to touch things. I'll find a way to get him out of the castle." Harry smiled. "I'm good at sneaking around. I won't get caught."

"Thank you, Harry," Nico said. "Huh. Never thought I'd say that."

"Ditto," Harry said with a chuckle. Then, he took the Robe off of himself and offered the Artifacts of Thanatos to Nico. "I think these are yours."

"Thanks," Nico said. He put the Cloak on and curled his fingers around the Staff. He knew now how dangerous it was to wield these items, but if anyone could resist their addictive powers, it was him. He had Hestia's blessing on his side.

"We have to warn the others about Hecate," Percy said. "It's time for all of us to unite. If Athena is on Hades' side, we'll need all the help we can get."

"Once we get to the surface, Blaise and I can apparate to the others," Hestia said. "We'll make sure they get to San Francisco."

"I'll help by shadow travel," Nico offered. "We'll meet at the Wolf House. Percy, Will, we'll go through the Doors of Orpheus. Get to camp and warn Chiron what's about to happen."

* * *

Hogwarts was beyond crowded. The anarchy in the Wizarding World must've escalated quite a bit, because thousands of refugees were pouring into the castle.

_Where would Annabeth, Ron, Hermione, and Cho be?_

Nico made his way around the crowd, looking for someone he recognized. He made his way to the front of a long line, where he found none other than Draco Malfoy with parchment and a quill, taking down names.

"Malfoy?"

Malfoy looked up. His eyes widened. "I thought you were... downstairs."

_How does he know about the gods?_

Nico shook the thought away. That wasn't important, not now. "I need to find my friends. Where are they?"

"They were here two days ago, but they left to find-" Malfoy glanced at the long line of wizards warily. "A special stone."

_The Philosopher's Stone._

"Then who's here now?" Nico asked. "Where's Dumbledore?"

"The Ministry, I think, trying to restore order," Malfoy said. "But, some of the Order is here. I think, erm, Harry's godfather is in Dumbledore's office. Maybe he'll know where they are?"

"Thanks," Nico groaned.

It took time-time he didn't have-to shuffle past the crowd and get to Dumbledore's office. It took a few tries to guess the password, but, finally, he was making his way up the stairs. There were a few men and women at work, one of which was surely Harry's godfather.

"Who's Harry's godfather?" Nico called. A shaggy-looking man stepped forward.

"Yes?"

"I'm Nico di Angelo." The man's eyes widened slightly. "I take it Harry told you about me?"

"He has," the man said. He swallowed hard. "I know you killed him."

Nico's heart sank. "I saw his spirit in the Underworld. He told me to tell you that he's sorry."

The man clenched his jaw. "_He's _not the one who should be sorry. Dumbledore did this. He should've never been a hero."

"I'm going to make his sacrifice mean something," Nico insisted. "Can you tell me where my friends are?"

"Nico?" Annabeth hugged him hard, harder than she ever had before. It felt a little odd, but Nico hugged her back all the same. "Percy told me you were dying! I thought that-"

"I'm fine," Nico grunted. "Annabeth, we don't have time for this. We have to get to the Wolf House _now. _Where's the Philosopher's Stone?"

"We don't have it," Hermione said bitterly. "Slytherin wouldn't give it to us."

Cho Chang stepped forward, a mischievous smile dancing on her lips. "Actually, I have it."

Annabeth, Ron, and Hermione gasped. "How?!" Hermione cried.

Cho lowered her eyes. "I- you'll- you'll know soon enough."

Hermione glared at her suspiciously, but said nothing. But something clicked in Nico's mind. "Cho," he asked quietly, "are you the flower?"

"Uhh..." Cho glanced at him curiously. "Slytherin called me that. He said that 'Cho' means flower, but I don't see what that has to do with anything."

"There's a line in the prophecy," Nico explained. " 'The flower and angel reach out their changed hand / for the ghosts of millennia and the promised land.' My last name, di Angelo, means 'the angel' in Italian. And I guess you're the flower. You got the Stone, and I have the Artifacts. I think we're connected somehow. Stay close to me. I don't know what the ghosts of millennia are, but we'll have to face them together."

"I do," Cho said. Nico raised his eyebrows. "Hades and Hecate are fighting over thousands of years of grudges. Persephone's curse. Merlin's immortality. We have to find them. We have to remind them that there's a better way, just like Vesta taught me."

"Vesta?" Annabeth questioned. "Cho, what aren't you telling us? _How _do you know all this?"

"I was a prisoner of Hades. He told me this, and I chose to be his spy so I could be alive again. But Genevieve, Vesta, showed me another way. I'm going to be a Hunter of Artemis. I'll never betray anyone ever again."

Nico smiled and reached his hand out to Cho. "You and me are a lot alike, aren't we? I was trapped too, I also tried to run, and I finally found where I belong. We'll find Hades and Hecate together. We'll save the world, Cho, I know we will."

By the time they made it to the Wolf House, the sun was already beginning to set. "We have an hour, tops, before the trial," Thalia informed them.

"I'm glad to see you're all right, Thalia." Nico told her.

Thalia grinned. "Thanks to you. When you brought the hotel down, you killed the Lotus Eaters and sapped their power."

"You're Thalia?" Cho asked. She stepped forward. "I'm Cho Chang. And..." she pulled a silver card from her pocket. "Roszí, I've made my decision. I want us to be sisters."

Roszí grinned-it was the first time Nico had ever seen her look happy. She pulled Cho into a hug, then Ianthe joined, then Thalia said, "What the hell," and joined in too.

"You'll take the oath on Olympus," Thalia told her. "You have to say it in front of Lady Artemis. But, if Roszí likes you, I'm sure she'll accept you into the Hunt. She's never steered us wrong before."

Cho nodded happily. "What's the plan, Nico?"

"We have to march on Camp Jupiter," Nico said.

"We're about to commit treason," Percy remarked. "Great."

"But how do we stop the chaos?" Annabeth asked. "Killing Romans isn't going to do anything but give Hecate exactly what she wants."

"Cho and I are going to find her. We'll use the Stone and Artifacts to get her and Hades to stand down. They're both here... somewhere."

"No," Will protested. "You'll die if you go up against those gods. They hate you! I- I can't lose you again, Neeks. I just can't."

"I'll go with them," Thalia said. "I'll protect him, you have my word." She beamed at Cho again. "And I want to fight with my new sister."

"We'll come too," Ianthe said. "The Hunters stick together."

"We need to get to Hecate's temple," Nico said. "Ron, Hermione, you need to find Merlin, convince him to reverse the spell. The rest of you, try to protect the Romans from themselves. Do whatever you have to do, just limit the casualties."

"Everyone drink some elixir from the Stone," Cho said. "It'll protect us from the visions so we all don't go mad. It's only temporary, though-you have to keep drinking elixir to stay immortal."

"Good," Ron said. "I don't want to go to the Fields of Punishment for cheating death."

Nico looked around. Percy, Annabeth, Will, Blaise, Hestia, Ron, Hermione, Cho, Lou Ellen, Thalia, Roszí and Ianthe. It wasn't much to march into battle against multiple gods, but it would have to do.

"Let's go."

**_RON_**

Camp Jupiter was in chaos. Everything was bathed in red, sticky blood. The dead littered the ground. All around him, demigods fought demigods. Most of them shouted with manic rage, mumbled incoherently about ghosts and Furies and enemies. There were shouts of, "For Rome!" all around them. None of them knew they were killing their own.

Ron was exhausted after only a few minutes. He'd never casted this many spells nor stunned this many people in his life. It was like he was back at the Ministry or Diagon Alley, like his brother had just died or Hermione had just gone below the mob and he was fighting through the chaos.

"In here!" Hermione shouted. They took refuge in a marble building. Its white walls smeared with blood. A kid no older than ten charged at them with his bare hands, screaming about ghosts.

"Stupify!" Ron yelled. The boy fell to the ground. "What are we going to do, Hermione?"

"I don't know!" There were tears in her eyes. "Merlin, please!"

Ron wrapped her into a hug and held her as she sobbed. "We're going to get through this," he told her.

"How could this happen?" Hermione cried. "We were supposed to protect the Wizarding World, and it's in pieces! Merlin was supposed to be on our side, and he's doing this! I- I trusted him! I _trusted _him! You were right, Ron, he was using us after all."

"Will you allow me to refute that claim?" Ron turned and fell to his knees. He finally knew why Hermione was so sure this man was a god. He looked... so... so _divine_ that Ron lost the ability to think.

"Merlin?" Hermione asked weakly.

"I shall always keep an ear out for my champions," Merlin smiled. "And I should like the chance to defend myself. Do not cry, Hermione Granger. You have done well. Even now, thousands of wizards flock to Hogwarts at Percy Weasley's brother's call. Albus Dumbledore has taken temporary control of the Ministry and is restoring order. It will take time to rebuild, but our world has held on long enough to survive the trial. Hecate never abandon you again."

"_You _abandoned us!" Hermione sounded so betrayed.

Merlin's green eyes flashed. "Who safeguards the refugees as they travel to Hogwarts? Who whispers thoughts of peace to the warring factions? Who sent warriors to recover the Stone and quell the mobs? I turned away to stand by my wife, but _I _always looked back. I guided your family to safety, Hermione, remember that. I guided you to the mob and the Ministry."

"You killed my brother!" Ron shouted.

"A terrible price for lasting peace in my realm."

Ron clenched his fists and grit his teeth. "Nico and Cho are distracting Hecate. Undo this spell, or you lose your warriors."

"Give me the Stone."

"Why should we?!" Hermione screamed. "You _lied _to me! If you really cared about us, you would've been like your son: neutral and with his people! The Wizarding World is in rubble, thanks to _you_!"

Merlin stepped forward. Ron, on instinct, pushed Hermione to take a step back. No vengeful god would hurt the woman he loved.

Then, Merlin closed his eyes. "I want peace," he said finally. "I was a king once. And a good king must be unselfish. You have reminded me of that, Hermione Granger. Hecate has gone too far. If she must lose, if I must go to the Fields of Punishment... so be it."

He started to chant in Latin. The air got hot and thick.

"I must cast powerful magic," Merlin said, taking a break from his spell. "Leave now, my champions, or you will burn."

Ron and Hermione ran out of the building. It was silent outside. Every Roman within eyesight was collapsed on the ground, fast asleep. The sky had turned blood red, the color of a sunset... or maybe it was a sunrise.

"We did it," Hermione whispered.

"Yeah," Ron said. He pulled her close and started to lean in, whispering, "and you were right about Merlin after all. I never should've doubted you."

**_NICO_**

It was slow work, moving through the camp. Fighting was everywhere. Every few minutes, someone would run at one of them, screaming incoherently, sword or spear or javelin raised to kill. There was one close call where a woman suddenly turned from her opponent and threw a spear at Nico's chest. If it weren't for Cho's quick expelliarmus, Nico would've been dead for the third time.

"Hecate?"

"Hecate."

"_Definitely _Hecate."

They ran towards the noise, and ended up in front of Pluto's temple. There Hades and Hecate stood. Hades had his staff in one hand and Helm of Darkness in the other. Hecate was in full greek fire mode with her dress, wrists, and hair enveloped in the flames.

"I have offered you peace, and instead you've turned to treachery!" Hecate snarled.

"How _dare _you!" Hades spat back. "You've framed me! You've stolen my son! You've taken _everything _I care about!"

"And you've tortured _my _son! You are vengeful, violent, unworthy of your position!"

"You will _never _have my realm, Titan. Stand down and I will not destroy you."

Hecate's greek fire doubled in side. "I will never surrender to the likes of you."

The dead rose from the ground. Magical creatures appeared out of thin air. Hades put his Helm on and disappeared into the night. Hecate, with a savage cry, twisted the Mist so no one could see her either. Nico knew they had to be fighting. Around them already the field began to smoke. He knew he had only seconds before the two gods became pure energy, and they would be dead.

Even worse, the Romans had finally noticed Nico and his friends, and turned on them.

There were too many enemies to fight. Demigods, monsters, and the dead lunged at Nico, so much so that he lost track of Cho and Thalia. All he could focus on was slashing and jabbing his sword as the two gods battled behind them.

Every time he got the chance, Nico would glance at the setting sun to see it lower and lower on the horizon. They had minutes until the trial would begin.

But, that was his big mistake.

He glanced at the sun at just the wrong time. He heard Thalia shout, "Nico!" and knock him out of the way. Nico hit his head on the stone road hard. A javelin whizzed over their heads. Thalia, now out of arrows, drew her knife and charged at the demigod. It took Nico a second to stand... a second too late.

Thalia was a genius with that knife, but she also wasn't used to Roman styles of fighting. In the second it took for Nico to stand, she took one wrong step, and the demigod knocked her to the ground. "No!" Nico shouted. He threw his Stygian Iron sword like a spear in a desperate attempt to forestall the inevitable, but it hit its target a second too late. The javelin hit Thalia square in the chest. She staggered back, coughed up blood, then fell to the ground.

"Thalia!" Nico and Cho screamed. A powerful shadow shield erupted from the Staff, vaporizing every enemy it passed through. Nico and Cho ran to Thalia's side.

"She can't die, she can't die, we were going to be sisters," Cho whispered again and again.

"That's right," Nico said. "And, Thalia, you aren't going to."

"It's Alastor's curse, Nico," Thalia said. Her voice was so weak. Blood lined her lips light bright red lipstick. "He cursed all three of us. Alabaster, you, and me. He died, you faded. Now it's my turn."

"No, _no_!" Nico shouted. "I can't lose you too! I can't lose everyone I love!"

Thalia reached two hands out, one for Nico, one for Cho. She turned to Cho first. "You'll make a great Hunter, Cho. It's been an honor to fight with you. Tell our Lady... tell her I'm sorry." Then, she turned to Nico. "And, Nico? I'm glad we made peace."

"I am too, Thalia."

Thalia grinned her final grin. "Now, you two, go kick some ass." She closed her eyes. Her chest fell, and didn't rise again.

Nico's grip tightened on the Staff. He boiled with rage. Now, two of his friends were dead, Alabaster and Thalia.

"This war ends _now_," Nico growled to Cho. She nodded.

"Protego!" she shouted. A force field burst from the Stone and encased the two of them in a bubble. He turned to the flaming mess before him and thrust the Staff forward. Hades and Hecate screamed. They reappeared and shrank to a normal size as their skin grew lined and hair turned grey.

"I am Nico di Angelo, son of Hades," Nico shouted. "I wield the Artifacts of Thanatos! You will stand down!"

Hades and Hecate were speechless. They stared down at him, the boy who was supposed to be dead, their son and former general, the one who'd put all this in motion. Nico knew right here, right now, he would become the hero that Nonno always said he would be.

"You will make peace, your allies will vote neutrally at the trial, and you will _stand down_," Nico commanded. "You and Hecate will make peace tonight! Thalia's death will mean something! It will save Western Civilization!"

Cho stepped forward too, tears in her eyes. "I am Cho Chang, follower of Hecate, soon to be Hunter of Artemis. You've killed my First Lieutenant! Nico and I stand together. Stand down, or we will destroy you."

Hecate's eyes widened. "_What _is Merlin doing? He- he's-" her eyes turned to the sky. It was turning darker and darker until it hit blood red.

"I think we should help him." Cho held out her hand. "For Percy Weasley, Yasmina, and Harry, and Cedric."

Nico took it. "For Thalia and Alabaster."

"And for our families."

"For our families."

Cho thrust the Stone into the air. Nico did the same with the Orb. The two of them began to glow the color of blood, as though their magic was fusing together. The sky turned the same blood red-at first just a dot in the sky, then it extended further and further out. All around them, the cursed fell to the ground. Weapons fell out of their hands.

Hecate and Hades collapsed, incapacitated from the powerful magic. Together, Nico and Cho banished them back to their realms. They wouldn't be causing any more trouble.

Camp Jupiter was saved.

"It's time for the trial," Cho whispered. "Thalia's silver shroud will burn on Olympus."

" 'Black and green destroy or make peace over white,' " Nico remembered. "The colors of Hades and Hecate. You're right. We can finish the quest and save the world."

Cho wrapped him into a hug. "Nico, we already have."

**END NOTES**

Credits:  
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr bianca-the-huntress)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you in the next (and final) chapter!


	35. Hades You Sassy MoFo

**CHAPTER SUMMARY**

The trial.

**BEGINNING NOTES**

Chapter Rating: General Audiences  
Content Warning: Cursing  
Word Count: 5197

And all the characters are owned by J.K. Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

* * *

**_NICO_**

Nico hadn't been to Olympus since the Second Titan War.

It was even more beautiful than he remembered it. Annabeth had really outdone herself during the last two years of work. There were lavish gardens full of nymphs and satyrs, Greek shrines and Roman temples, modern-style apartments, meandering paths speckled with trees and flowers. It reminded him of his villa in la Valle d'Aosta, the back garden where he and Bianca would play-if you could even call it a garden; there was enough land there to house a farm. He felt full of awe, but nostalgic too.

Nico walked with his friends, with Percy on one side and Will on the other. The only questers who weren't there were Roszí and Ianthe, who'd joined up with their Hunters before. They'd meet up with them in the throne room.

On their way to the throne room, they passed a Roman-style complex that looked like a mini hotel. It was three stories with a completely open front; instead of doors, a dozen columns stood in front of the first floor of the temple. It had an atrium with a double pool to one side, and a small grove on a hill on the other. Unlike some of the other buildings, it was completely barren of nymphs and satyrs. And yet, Nico was drawn to it.

"What is this place, Annabeth?" Nico asked.

"I don't know," Annabeth said. "This is one of the sections of Olympus Kronos didn't have time to destroy. It's beautiful, though. I wonder who it's for?"

"Only one way to find out," Nico said. He walked off the path and squeezed through the columns. His friends followed closely behind.

"Shouldn't we, I dunno, get to the trial?" Ron asked.

"One minute," Nico insisted. The first floor looked like a domus, the standard home for the Roman upper classes. The room was a tablinum, a Roman living room, with seats and tables, a massive fireplace, and a few rugs to line the floor. Directly in front of him, across from the opening, was an altar with the usual Lares and household gods.

Cho walked over to the fireplace and touched the base with two fingers. "Look," she said, holding up her hand. Both fingers were black. "Soot. But it's hardened. I don't think anyone's been here in a long time."

"I think so too," Hestia said. "Everything's covered in dust."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Will said. "Neeks, I think we should get out of here. If it's abandoned, it's probably bad news."

"I'm with Will," Blaise said.

"And me," Lou Ellen agreed. "This has cursed written all over it."

Nico looked wistfully at the stairs leading to the second floor. "Yeah," he muttered, but he was entranced. Not hypnotized like he was when he faced Alastor; this felt different, _important_, but definitely not sinister. He made a silent vow to return after the trial, then tore his eyes away. "Yeah, let's go."

He walked towards the door, but stopped at the altar. Without a moment's hesitation, he took off the skull ring Bianca had given him and laid it down as a small sacrifice. It hurt a little-he always felt like a piece of him was in that ring-but it felt like the right thing to do. "Whoever you are, whatever you are, I'll be back," he whispered. "You won't be forgotten."

Percy took his hand and guided him away.

They reached the throne room without another distraction. This was the one place Annabeth hadn't redesigned, since the gods rebuilt it themselves, so it looked the same as always. All twelve Olympians sat in their respective thrones, but in different forms. Zeus, Poseidon, Artemis, Hermes, Athena, and Dionysus were in their Greek forms; Juno, Venus, Vulcan, Mars, Ceres, and Apollo were in their Roman. Hades and Persephone stood off to one side; Hecate and Merlin stood on the other. Hestia, as always, sat in the center, keeping the hearth going. She smiled warmly at Nico and Cho when they walked in.

"Genevieve!" Cho cried with glee. Then, she caught herself. "I- I mean, Vesta."

"You've done well, Cho," Hestia said pleasantly. "Come, heroes, sit by the fire with me. I think our family has much to discuss."

"Yes." Zeus cleared his throat. He did _not _look happy. "Hades, you stand trial today for the attempted murder of my daughter Persephone and conspiracy against Olympus. How do you plead?"

" 'My daughter Persephone,' " Persephone muttered just loud enough for Nico to hear. "First time in an aeon you've called me that."

"Stand with me, Proserpine," Ceres demanded. "Stay away from that foul man. He'll be gone soon enough."

"Quite the vote of confidence, Ceres," Dionysus said dryly.

"This is absurd!" Venus scoffed. "Zeus, why would he try to murder the woman he loves?"

"Indeed," Athena agreed. "Father, this is obviously an attempt for Ceres to strike against Hades. With all his faults, he cares about Persephone too much to put her in harm's way."

"Not if he thought doing so would give him Jupiter's throne," Mars countered with a hateful glance at Athena. "He's forgotten his wife before when he as something to gain. In fact, the living proof is right in front of us." He directed a pointed stare at Nico.

"But to that extent?" Juno argued. "What husband would _kill _his wife?!"

"The same one who kidnapped her!" Poseidon snapped. "Did you just forget that, Juno?"

"There, you see!" Ceres cried. "That is all the proof we need. Hades is _guilty_!"

"What about Hecate?!" Artemis shouted. "Her attack on Camp Jupiter was scheming and dishonorable! My first lieutenant, you _daughter_, Zeus, is _dead _because of her. With all his faults, Hades killed _no one_!"

"He killed Hecate's son!" Hermes shot back. "And there's no proof Hecate launched that attack!"

"Oh, _please_," Vulcan snapped. "The Artifacts of Thanatos and Philosopher's Stone ended whatever it was. Why would magical tools end something that wasn't magical in origin?"

Nico couldn't take it any longer. "Thalia is dead!" he shouted. "Alabaster is dead! Percy Weasley, Harry Potter, Yasmina the Hunter, fuck, _Cho _died; _I _died at one point too! Isn't all that enough?! Do you all _want _the end of Western Civilization?!"

"I will _not _be spoken to that way by a mere child!" Zeus shouted. "My daughter sacrificed her life to bring justice, and that's what I intend to do!"

All twelve Olympians started shouting at once. Nico didn't know what to do; why had he listened when the doorman demanded he leave the Artifacts and Stone on the first floor?

"Zeus." It was a small voice, and yet it reverberated throughout the room. All the gods stopped arguing to turn and stare at Hestia, the only one still a normal size, the only one in neutral dress, not quite Greek, not quite Roman. The only one who was still neutral.

"Hestia?" Zeus asked, surprised, and, surprisingly, calm.

"If I might speak," she began, "I think the boy is right. What happens if we banish Hades to Tartarus or ban him from Olympus forever? We split this family in two and start a civil war. This family has never been, well, functional, but it's always managed to stick together against its enemies. The hardest enemy to fight is yourself, but we must, or Olympus itself will fall, kicking and screaming like a newborn child."

She turned to Ceres. "Ceres, your daughter might've been caught up in the Wizard Genocide last year, but she is safe now. You fight for her, but listen to her. Persephone, do you want Hades punished?"

Persephone shook her head. "No, I don't. Mother, I will always love you and am grateful for how much you love me, but you have to pick your battles. I'm no longer a child. I can fight in my own name, and I do against Hades every winter. That's what marriage _is_." She walked to Ceres and took her hand. "Mother, I know it hurt when I ran from you, but I ate that pomegranate and paid for it. The one happiness I have when I descend is my love for Hades, our daughter, and the power I get from being a queen. My curse doesn't end if Hecate gets Erebos; I only lose what keeps me sane during the long winter months."

Ceres' stern face had fallen to tears. "I want to rescue you, Kore, my pride and joy," she whispered.

"But, Mother, I don't _need _rescuing."

"I-" Ceres hesitated. Persephone squeezed her mother's hand. "Lord Zeus, I rescind my charge against Hades."

Nico scanned the room. Of all the gods, only Hades and Hecate had no reaction. They'd both been stoic since the beginning.

"Well, then, I suppose that's that," Zeus forced out. "There is one othermatter to discuss." Nico gulped. He'd lost his daughter, and now his chance to get rid of Hades. Whatever his revenge would be, it wouldn't be pretty.

At Zeus's proclamation, Hecate lost her composure. "Lord Zeus-"

"_Enough_, Hecate," Zeus snapped. "I gave you land and followers of your own, I released you from your oath of maidenhood, and you went behind my back and turned _that _into a god!" He pointed angrily at Merlin. "I showed your son mercy, and you allowed him back after we banished him! You have betrayedOlympus! For your crimes, I put the council to vote-"

"Lord Zeus?" Merlin stepped forward. "It was I who invented the Philosopher's Stone, not Hecate. It was I who cheated death and demanded she make me a god. It was I who asked Alabaster to return, not she. I accept what's long overdue: I will go with Hades to the Fields of Punishment. Hecate has watched hundreds of children and thousands of followers die from Persephone's curse. She has lost her two most beloved children, Alabaster and Salazar, to this war. In my eyes, that is penance enough."

Zeus clenched his jaw. "All in favor?"

"_NO_!" Hecate screamed, more anguished than Nico had ever heard her. She ran in front of Zeus's throne, dropped to her knees, and bowed before him, her entire body shaking. "My lord, please," she begged.

"We have already shown you mercy, Hecate," Zeus reminded her. "Your crimes will not go unpunished again."

"No, they won't." Hecate lifted her head, tears in her eyes. "My lord, my king, you're wise enough to know that Merlin's lying. _I _gave him the Stone, _I _pursued a relationship despite my oath, and _I _turned him into a god. He isn't to blame, I am."

Zeus raised his eyebrows. "Merlin helped to lift your curse on Camp Jupiter. He betrayed you, and you ask us to show him mercy?"

"Betrayed me?" Hecate glanced at her husband with a sad smile. "He pushes me to be better. He protects me from myself. Without him, I would've brought Western Civilization to its knees to get Alabaster back." She turned back to Zeus. "I have a counterproposal."

Merlin rushed towards her. "Hecate, don't."

"Banish me to my followers," Hecate announced before Merlin could stop her. "Demote me, make me nothing more than a deity of a tiny speck of a tiny island thousands of miles from Olympus. Make Persephone my replacement; she's got enough talent as the goddess of nature magic. All I ask is that my husband stays by my side, and that Hades allows me to take my son back. I know he is keeping him alive as a prisoner in the Underworld. Give this to me, and you'll never see me again."

Zeus thought and thought, then slowly nodded his head. "If the Council agrees?"

Every Olympian raised their hand.

"Mom!" Lou Ellen screamed. "Mom, you _can't_! No!"

Hecate turned to her daughter, tears in her eyes. "I think Chiron will allow you to stay at camp, my daughter, so don't despair. This is right. This is justice."

"I object," came a lone voice.

Hecate, still on her knees, gasped. "Hades?"

"What, Hecate, do you think I would allow that? Ruling exclusively over a realm and being essentially banished from Olympus is _my _role and nobody else's." Hades rolled his eyes. "Please. And you'd give me _another _reason for my mother-in-law to hate me? Give Persephone _more _to do? And what happens to the Mist when she's with me and unable to monitor it correctly? Think of the infrastructure I'd have to build!"

"But… but you're not part of the Council…" Hecate said in utter shock.

"I am still an Olympian, am I not, brother?" Hades asked Zeus. Zeus was forced to nod. "So, you see Hecate, I am perfectly able to vote. And, seeing how a punishment of this caliber needs a unanimous decision, you'll just have to go on being the goddess of magic."

"So you agree with Merlin's suggestion?" Zeus questioned.

Hades rolled his eyes. "And deal with all that paperwork? No, I'm far too busy for that, plotting my next takeover of Olympus."

"So you admit you want to dethrone me?"

Hades laughed. "I said _plot_, not do. Oh, Hecate's right that I'm a bit trigger happy: threatening to open the gates when Persephone was to leave me, when my healm was stolen, the Wizard Genocide, this most recent war… but, I'm all bark and no bite, everyone knows that. Still, it's good fun." Hades shrugged. "Hecate, take your son back, for all I care. It's more work than I'm used to, dealing with the living within my walls. I've never done it before, and I don't think I want to ever do it again."

_Well, we both know that's not true. You took care of me._

Nico didn't dare say that out loud, nor look at his father. He knew what would happen if Zeus ever found out.

"Then what do you propose, Hades?" Zeus demanded. "You would let your worst enemy get off scot free?"

"Yes, I suppose I would."

"But _you _are not the leader of this council." Zeus trained his eyes back on Hecate. "For your crimes-"

"All in favor of ending this war and moving on to something actually worth our time?" Hades called out.

The Olympians glanced at each other. Zeus was frozen with rage, but, around him, the other gods raised their hands.

"Seeing how peace treaties _don't _have to be unanimous, Zeus, I think that's that."

For once, the lord of the sky was speechless. Nico couldn't help but enjoy the humiliation; he would never forget what that god did to Camp Half-Blood and New York City.

"I think we should negotiate a peace treaty, then," Juno said. Zeus was still in too much of a shock to proceed over the council. "Hades, Hecate, you are forbidden from interacting again, unless it is here on Olympus, with the permission of the council. Alabaster C. Torrington will be returned to Hecate immediately. As for Cho Chang…"

"We promised her new life," Persephone put in. "That loose end is tied."

"But she betrayed you," Juno pointed out. "To leave a dead girl alive would break the laws of nature. Jupiter and I cannot allow it."

"It's my realm," Hades reminded her. "I say Cho stays. She's under Hestia's protection, after all, and she's the only member of the family I believe likes me."

"My Lady!" Roszí called out. "Cho hath proved herself to me many times. Thalia consented to her joining the Hunt before her passing. I beg you to allow her this privilege."

Artemis nodded, tears in her eyes. "If that was Thalia's wish, I say it should be so. Juno, I stand with Hades and Hestia. The girl should be rewarded for her bravery."

Juno glanced at Zeus. "What do I care?" Zeus grumbled.

Cho ran eagerly to Artemis's throne and knelt. "It's an honor to meet you, my lady," she said. "What's the oath I have to take?"

"Not so fast," Artemis said with a chuckle. "Hecate, this girl is your follower and thus under your jurisdiction. Will you allow this?"

Hecate was standing by Merlin's side again with her hand in his. She looked happier than Nico had ever seen before. "Of course, Artemis."

"My lady?" Ianthe stepped forward. "Roszí, I, and our sisters discussed it, and we think that Cho should be our new first lieutenant. She's a powerful follower of Hecate, and, surviving what she has all by herself… she reminds us of Thalia."

Cho gasped. "But, Roszí, I thought you were Thalia's second-in-command?"

Roszí smiled. "I am, as I shall be yours. But I hath never wanted that particular honor; I daresay I would be too proud for such a position."

"I respect your judgement, Roszí," Artemis said. "Cho, this is yours if you want it."

Cho glanced back at Nico. Though he'd only known her a few hours, there was a bond between them, an understanding of sorts. He mouthed 'do it.' He never thought he'd guide a friend to join the Hunt, but if Thalia had taught him anything, it was that there was more than one side to that particular story.

With Roszí guiding her, Cho took the oath, "I pledge myself to the Goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt."

Artemis smiled. "I accept your oath. Remember your pledge, it is now your life."

"Zeus, Juno, if I may?" Merlin asked. Zeus said nothing, so Juno motioned him forward.

"Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger?" he called out. They stepped forward. "You have served Hecate and I well. For that, you shall be rewarded. I will grant you one wish, if it is within my power, you shall have it."

Ron and Hermione whispered to each other. "You can't bring Harry back, can you?" Ron asked hopefully.

Of course, Merlin shook his head no.

"Then… we wish that the Wizarding World will remember him as a hero, not a liar. They'll know the truth about what he did, how he saved the world. His sacrifice will remind the Wizarding World how we have to protect our freedom and peace. His life will mean something."

Merlin nodded. "It is done. We shall rebuild the Wizarding World together into a better one, one to rival the golden age of my rule."

Hestia stood from her place by the fire. "Might I also reward my champions?" she asked. Juno nodded. "Cho Chang, step forward," Hestia said.

Cho nervously left Artemis's side to stand in front of Hestia.

"Cho, you gave your life for me, the one who reminded you of all you lost. You sacrificed your happiness for the sake of the world, and saved it in the process. Despite your sufferings, you've remained kind and true. For this, I bless you. Never again will you see a loved one die. You will lead the Hunters of Artemis into a golden age that will last as long as you are alive. Your family will live under my protection for the rest of their days. And, I promise you will see them again one day."

Cho laughed, crying tears of joy. "Vesta, thank you."

Hestia took her hand. "No, Cho, thank _you_." Then, she turned to Nico. With sparkling eyes, she said, "I must admit, you've always surprised me."

"Surprised you?" Nico asked.

Hestia smiled. "Yes. And puzzled me. Of all the people to greet me at camp, to seek out my advice and company, why you?"

Nico shrugged. "I dunno. You've always listened to me."

Hestia looked amused. "Yes, but you have many friends to listen to you now. Why do you entertain the goddess of family when, for so long, you've had none? You've never had a happy family or a true home, you've lived as a wanderer for so long, and yet you're kind to me, the goddess of everything you never had. Why?"

"I- I don't know. I never thought of it like that."

"Would you call yourself my friend, Nico?"

"Umm… is this a test?"

Hestia laughed. "Oh, you've already passed that." She walked over to him and held out her hand. "You forgot something, by the way." She opened her palm. Bianca's ring.

"That temple… it was yours?" Nico asked.

Hestia nodded. "In ancient Rome, there were priestesses known as the Vestal Virgins. They lived in a complex much like the one you saw, though much bigger. They maintained a sacred fire for me and offered refuge to the people of Rome. There has not been a Vestal Virgin in a long time. Nico… I offer you the chance to help me keep the fire going."

Nico was stunned. All he could say was, "But… I'm… I'm not a virgin." Will elbowed him in the arm. "Ow! Well, I'm not!"

Hestia laughed again. "You aren't a woman either, Nico. That's all arbitrary. As my chosen hero, my anointed champion, all I ask is that you give a home to the homeless. You make each stranger your friend. I will give you the tools to do what you've always wanted: to give the sun to those who are having a rainy day."

Nico remembered the conversation he'd had with Rachel in her cave. It looked like he'd actually be able to do it. "I will, Hestia." Then, he turned to Hades. "If my _father_ allows me to."

Hades raised his eyebrows. Nico knew it took him a lot of effort to stay composed when his son had just officially accepted him back into his life, but now they _both _knew why keeping their relationship so formal was important.

"I do, Hestia, as long as you allow me to see him from time to time."

"I will not take his freedom," Hestia promised. "Nico, you will be in my protection for as long as you live. I grant you my sacred blessing: for as long as you serve me, you shall know family, happiness, and be safe around your hearth."

Nico couldn't believe it. Family, happiness, and safety. The three things Nico thought he'd lost with Bianca. Now, he'd have them forever. "I could ask for no greater gift," Nico managed. He didn't even notice how badly his voice was cracking.

The day flew by after that. Nico decided to stay at Camp Half-Blood while his parents searched for a new apartment. Percy and Annabeth announced they'd be having their wedding the next day, January 2nd, the final day before he'd return to junior year at Goode. "We always wanted a small wedding," Percy explained. "And, after all that, I think we all need a break."

As the hours ticked by, Nico couldn't help but reflect. He was free now, truly free, and there was something a part of him had always wanted to do.

So, he decided to do it.

* * *

_Come on, Nico. It's now or never._

Nico stood outside the door for an hour at least, trying to work up the courage to knock.

_You know what? He's probably not here, or maybe he's asleep, it is pretty late after all, I mean-_

"Can I help you?"

Nico jumped, turning around in the process. "Uhh… hiiiiii…?"

"...Nico?" Matt studied him closely. His eyes widened. "Oh my god, it _is _you! What- I mean, how…?"

"How do you know it's me?" Nico countered with a sly smile. "I mean, we were ten when Papà pulled me out."

"You've still got that… face." Matt laughed. He pulled Nico into a man-hug, complete with slaps on the back. "How _are _you, man? I haven't heard from you in years!"

"I know, I'm sorry. Thing's got… crazy. It's a long story."

Matt smirked. "Isn't it always? I've got time."

Nico grinned back. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear."

It took a long time for Nico to explain everything that had happened since Westover Hall. It was the first time in his life he'd recounted all his demigod "adventures" in one go. His former roommate sat there, taking it all in without a question. Nico was surprised but grateful that he didn't call him a liar or crazy and kick him out.

"I don't know why I believe you, but I do," Matt said when Nico was finished. "There's times I see things I can't explain. I always thought it was a trick of the light, but could it be the gods?"

"Maybe," Nico said. "You might be able to see through the Mist. I'd give you a taste of my power to test that theory out, but I don't think you want spartae in your bedroom."

"Uhh… no," Matt agreed. "So, why did you come back, then, after all this time?"

Nico smiled. "A little favor to myself, actually."

"Which is?"

"You know you were my first crush, right?"

Matt threw his head back as he laughed. "That's the best thing I've ever heard. That's _adorable._"

"Don't be patronizing," Nico teased, elbowing him. "I just thought you were hot, I wasn't in love with you."

Matt wagged his eyebrows, and Nico lost it too.

"So, Mr. Son-of-Hades, what fanservice can I offer you?"

Nico stopped laughing long enough to choke out, "my brother's getting married tomorrow? Be my date?"

"Won't Will get jealous?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "Yeah, of course, idiot. Why do you think I'm bringing you?"

Nico crashed on Matt's floor that night, then the two of them shadow-traveled to New Rome for the ceremony. Annabeth was beautiful, Percy was crying, and Grover looked incredibly uncomfortable in his best man suit. Percy had asked Nico to fill that particular role, of course, but there was no way Nico would wear anything that formal. He was perfectly happy in jeans and a t-shirt, thank you very much.

He danced the whole night with Hazel, Will, Matt, Percy, Annabeth, Reyna, Jason, Blaise, Hestia, and all his other friends. It felt amazing to sit down and relax after the last ten days of absolute mayhem. He made sure to get _I Hope You Dance _on the stereo as a tribute to Bianca. He knew she'd be just as happy as he was to see Percy get his happily ever after.

Around midnight, when the party was winding down, Nico took a break to wander the camp and be by himself. The night was beautiful, full of stars. He settled on a stone bench near the Field of Mars and looked up to see his favorite constellation: the Huntress running across the sky with her bow drawn. He knew it was meant to be Zoë Nightshade, but he saw no one but Bianca.

"I see her too, you know."

Nico turned. Hades was sitting next to him, staring up at the same constellation.

"Papà."

Hades smiled. "I always liked it when you called me that. Father's too formal for the boy I raised."

Nico glanced around warily. No one was there, but someone could show up at any moment. "You shouldn't say that. If Zeus ever found out-"

"I'm well aware of that, Nico."

Nico shifted anxiously on the bench. "Why are you even here, Papà? I thought the whole point is you don't want to draw attention."

Hades scoffed. "Draw attention? Poseidon and Athena are around, Artemis is here with her Hunters… if it's an Olympian reunion, why can't I join in the fun?"

Nico couldn't help but laugh. But, that laugh quickly turned emotional as the last few weeks' events hit him. Tears built up in his eyes. "Papà… I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I never realized everything you'd done for me, if I had…"

Hades shook his head. "No, Nico, there were mistakes on both sides. I should've realized you never forgot who you were, that the Lethe hadn't completed its job. I should've known you were still the same boy I raised." He ruffled Nico's hair, something he hadn't done in, well, technically, decades. "You'll always have a home with me, I want you to know that. I know you'll be busy now with mortal school and Hestia's patronage, but know that, for you, I'll always be there."

Nico nodded. "I'll still have time for you, if you need me to run some errands. Just… don't _expect _it, okay? I'm doing you favors because I want to, not because I have to."

"Understood." Hades looked back up at the stars. They sat there comfortably for a few moments. "What will you do now, as Hestia's Vestal Virgin?" he asked.

"Vestal Not-Virgin," Nico reminded him.

Hades laughed. "Yes, of course."

"I'm going to go back to Italy and getting the family land back," he said. "It's the government's property right now, but they're not using it, at least not from the documents I dug up. I can claim to be the first Nico di Angelo's grandson or something and they'll have to give it back. I'll build a community center, I think, a place for troubled kids to go. Kind of like what the camps did for me. After that… I don't know." Nico slid closer to his father and rested his head on his shoulder. Fatigue started to set in; when was the last time he'd properly slept? Not since Christmas, at least. "What's going to happen to Alabaster?"

"He's with Hecate and Merlin, recovering from his wounds," Hades said. "I suspect they'll lay low for a while, keep him in the Wizarding World to help with repairs. But he'll be back at Camp Jupiter soon, Nico, I promise you that. The Council has better things to worry about than a kid who's no longer a threat. You'll see him again soon." Nico laughed with relief. After Alabaster hadn't come to Percy's wedding, he was afraid he'd lost his best friend forever. "I suspect Hecate intends to make him immortal, too."

Nico raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

"The way she cares for him? Yes, I do."

"How do you know?"

Hades looked down at Nico, who was still snuggled against his father. But, even half asleep, Nico understood the meaning behind such a look. "Papà? Do you want to make me immortal?"

Hades wrapped his arms around Nico in a very not-Hades was. "I want whatever you want, Nico."

In his tired daze, Nico remembered an old promise he'd made. He started to giggle. "Papà?" he said again.

"Yes?"

"Can we watch Disney's Hercules? Will made me promise I'd ask. You're a character in it. They made you the villain instead of Hera. It's pretty funny."

Hades sighed. "Why does that not surprise me? I'll clean your room, we can watch it together, the next time you stay over."

"Papà?" His voice was weak with exhaustion now.

"What is it, Nico?"

"Do you… do you love me?"

Hades kissed Nico on the top of the head. "I do, Nico. I love you as much as I have ever loved anyone."

Nico's eyes closed all the way. Despite the cold, he felt warm in his father's arms. For the first time in his life, he felt truly safe.

"Sleep now, my son. Tomorrow, you will conquer the world."

Then, Nico di Angelo fell asleep in his father's arms for the first time in ninety years.

**END NOTES**

It's over guys. It's really over. It's the end of an era. Thank you so much for taking a chance on me! I'm super fatigued for writing such a long chapter, so I'll release my little letter to you guys as the final chapter next week (and yes it will actually be next week sorry for such a long delay. I swear I shall explain there.)

Please subscribe to my profile if you haven't already, and go take a look at Shoot an Arrow Though His Heart, my most recent fic. I'm also coming out with a brand new fic in the next few weeks, so stay tune!

I'll answer all comments, etc. in the letters chapter.


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